Henry Cavill did, ultimately, appear in “Black Adam” in a much-hyped post-credits scene that represented his first new appearance as Superman since “Justice League.” It was a big deal, and Johnson knew it was a big deal. It’s something he touted publicly, but to make it happen, he again circumvented then-DC head Walter Hamada, who didn’t want Cavill back in the role and was trying to move on. A pattern is emerging here.
I am not one for reckless speculation, but if Johnson truly wanted to try and change the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe, with all of that power flowing through him, it’s easy to see why he pushed to get Cavill back. Black Adam isn’t an A-list character, but Superman is. If he could get Superman back as part of his grand plans, there was a conceivable path for his plan to work. Unfortunately for him, “Black Adam” fell short of $400 million at the box office against a budget north of $200 million (before marketing). Yet, even after the numbers started to look kind of ugly, Johnson tried to paint a rosier picture in the public eye. As the picture comes into focus, this all starts to look rather unfortunate again.
In any event, Warner Bros. is moving on with new leadership, and by and large, it’s going to be out with the old and in with the new for the DCU. The Rock is simply going to have to find another gigantic franchise to take over.