DC Films president Walter Hamada turned down initial ideas for an appearance from Superman in the upcoming Black Adam film.
As reported by The Hollywood Reporter, the idea for a Superman (possibly portrayed by Henry Cavill) cameo in Black Adam was broached during reshoots for the DC Extended Universe movie early in 2022. However, the plan was vetoed by Hamada, who had his own plans for Superman in the DCEU, including a film starring a Black Superman written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and produced by JJ Abrams. However, despite Hamada's "no," Black Adam star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson turned to Warner Bros. Pictures heads Michael De Luca and Pam Abdy, who approved the idea. The scene was apparently filmed in September 2022.
Hamada will be exiting Warner Bros. Discovery following the theatrical release of Black Adam on Oct. 21. Cavill's Superman has long been rumored to make his return in the upcoming film, with many anticipating he would appear at 2022's San Diego Comic-Con, his absence met with disappointment from many fans. Johnson recently teased a potential cameo from the Last Son of Krypton in Black Adam, describing the hero as "the most powerful and unstoppable force on this planet." However, the actor then emphasized the phrase, "On this planet." Many fans believed this to be a reference to Superman.
Superman vs. Black Adam
Johnson has also continued to tease not only a cameo from the DC hero but an all-out battle between his Black Adam and Cavill's Superman. The actor has confirmed that he "absolutely" has plans for a Black Adam vs. Superman film, saying, "That is the whole point of this, man." He continued, "I have been saying for some time, there's a new era in the DC Universe that's about to begin. And what I meant by that was introducing a brand new character. It's not a sequel, not an existing IP. It was...you know, Black Adam!"
With Johnson in the title role, Black Adam is a spinoff of 2019's Shazam! Originally scheduled to release in December 2020, Black Adam officially began filming in April 2021 after a lengthy delay due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The film will mark the DCEU debut of the JSA (Justice Society of America), which will consist of Aldis Hodge as Hawkman, Pierce Brosnan as Dr. Fate, Noah Centineo as Atom Smasher, Sarah Shahi as Adrianna Tomaz and Quintessa Swindell as Cyclone.
Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Black Adam stars Johnson as the titular anti-hero and arrives in theaters on Oct. 21, 2022.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter