Playing the role of the antagonist in a project that has the potential to become a cult classic is not an easy decision. After all, it could probably lead to a ton of typecasting in the future. Maybe this was what was worrying Dwayne Johnson when he refused to let Black Adam become a true villain in his DC debut.
While Arnold Schwarzenegger became a villain in the Terminator franchise, despite his initial hesitance, Dwayne Johnson was not at all willing to let Black Adam be perceived as an antagonist. One could argue that his unwillingness of letting Black Adam truly shine as the villain or anti-hero that he is, might have been the cause of Black Adam not receiving much positive feedback from viewers. Did Dwayne Johnson’s idea of seeing Black Adam as a hero end up ruining it for both the Black Adam franchise as well as Henry Cavill’s return?
Was Dwayne Johnson Unsure About Playing a Villain?
Black Adam is one of the major villains seen in the DC comics. While Dwayne Johnson could have played the character in the dark and ruthless way as seen in the comics, it sadly didn’t happen. He once stated that Black Adam was a “Rebellious, one of a kind superhero” who does what’s best for people, but in his own special way. Some could say that labeling a character with a ruthless background as a superhero in its debut film wasn’t the best idea.
A user on Twitter who goes by the name, @JamesReinhardt, compared Johnson with Arnold Schwarzenegger. He pointed out that while Schwarzenegger was not totally sure about playing the bad guy in Terminator at first, he decided to be open-minded about it all. Going out on a limb was definitely the right choice on his part as by doing so he played one of the most entertaining characters in the entertainment industry.
As for Johnson, the user stated that his “Ego” didn’t let him portray Black Adam as the villain fans were kind of hoping for. In doing so, not only did Johnson possibly sink Black Adam, but it might have also led to the fall of Henry Cavill’s Superman.
Schwarzenegger was initially hesitant about taking the Terminator role because he would be playing a villain, but chose to be open minded and it became his most iconic roles, whereas The Rock’s ego refused to let Black Adam be a bad guy and it ended up sinking two franchises pic.twitter.com/0nbcTvNy5U
— James Reinhardt (@JamesReinhardt) March 19, 2023
Let’s not forget that Black Adam showed Cavill’s return in such a way that fans rightfully thought the actor would be having a much bigger role in the future of DCU. Unfortunately, we all know that didn’t turn out to be the case. Whatever may be the reason behind Cavill’s removal, a lot of fans blame Johnson for using his Superman for Black Adam’s benefit and ruining it along the way.
Do you think Johnson’s view of Black Adam as a hero blocked him from delivering an authentic portrayal of the iconic DC Comics character?
Dwayne Johnson Refers to Black Adam as a Hero
In the comic books, Black Adam’s powers corrupt the character, which leads to him doing more evil than good. However, in a Q&A session posted by Johnson on his YouTube channel in 2017, he stated that people like him see Black Adam as a hero, jokingly adding that he had a black heart.
“It’s really in our interpretation and who we deem a hero. Yes, of course, Black Adam in the mythology is a villain. Or he could be considered an anti-hero. Or to some, he’s a hero, to some who have a black heart like me. Again, I love the back story that he started off as a slave, and he was held down. I think that kind of back story about a man who’s held down and he rises up out of that to become greater and then dealing with the conflict and pain of losing his family – it’s dark. But it also adds to the gravity and adds to the weight of the story.”
Do you agree with Johnson or do you think Black Adam should have been considered only and only as a true villain, at least in its debut film?
Black Adam is available to stream on HBO Max.
Source: Twitter
