- The film “Black Adam,” starring Dwayne Johnson, was expected to reshape the DC Universe but underperformed at the box office, leading to significant financial losses and Johnson’s exit from the franchise.
- Recently, “MultiVersus” humorously jabbed at “Black Adam,” and the upcoming “Despicable Me 4” promo also joined in on the fun, mimicking Marvel Studios’ style of announcements.
- Despite Johnson blaming leadership changes for “Black Adam’s” failure, the movie’s huge budget and underwhelming financial and critical reception also played a significant role in its flop.
Hey there, entertainment buffs! Ready for a tale of playful rivalries, cinematic dreams, and a touch of Hollywood drama? Buckle up! Less than a week ago, the video game MultiVersus took a cheeky dig at Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam. And now, it’s the Despicable Me franchise’s turn to join in the fun. Get ready, because Steve Carell and the Minions have just lobbed their playful shot!
The Minions Strike (Again!)
In a new promo for the highly anticipated Despicable Me 4, Steve Carell’s character exclaims, “The hierarchy of power in the Illumination universe is about to change!” Sound familiar? It’s a playful spin on Dwayne Johnson’s hyped-up tagline for Black Adam. Move over superheroes, the Minions and Gru are here to steal the thunder again! For a chuckle, check out the latest promo embedded below.
And in true Minion fashion, the promo doesn’t stop there. It even pokes fun at Marvel Studios’ mega-event Comic-Con-style slate reveals. Imagine 100 years’ worth of “Mega Minions” projects announced. You can delve into this animated madness at EnterTheMegaverse.com. I mean, who doesn’t want more Minions, right?
Black Adam’s Rocky Road
Now, let’s get into the juicy bit about Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam. If there’s one thing Dwayne Johnson is known for, it’s his massive ego and unshakeable confidence. He expected Black Adam to be an earth-shattering blockbuster. Warner Bros. bought into this dream, and the character even made it into their platform fighter game, MultiVersus.
But reality checked in pretty quickly. Within a few months, it became clear that both Black Adam the movie and the game weren’t hitting the mark. The film underperformed massively, causing Warner Bros. to rethink its DC Universe plans. MultiVersus got pulled from online storefronts, and The Rock found himself on the sidelines of the DC Universe.
Counting the Losses
According to Variety, Black Adam lost between $50 million to $100 million. Ouch! Despite being the debut of such a hyped anti-hero and featuring the iconic Justice Society of America, it couldn’t work the expected magic at the box office.
The Rock was vocal about how Black Adam would revolutionize the DC Universe. He boldly proclaimed that the “hierarchy of power” was about to change. In a way, it did—unfortunately, as the first in a string of disappointing outings for DC Studios.
But don’t just take my word for it. The man himself talked about it in an interview on Hart to Heart. He blamed the film’s failure on a “vortex of new leadership” at Warner Bros.
“’Black Adam’ got caught in a vortex of new leadership,” Johnson said. “It was so many changes in leadership. Anytime you have a company, a publicly traded company, and you have all those changes in leadership, you have people coming in who, creatively and fiscally, are going to make decisions that you may not agree with.”
What Went Wrong?
Johnson seems to believe it was all about bad timing and new management. He highlighted that it had the best opening of his career and could’ve been a bigger hit if it had played in China, projecting an additional $100-$200 million from that market alone.
“You have a superhero and you want to grow out the franchise. You bring back Superman and Henry Cavill, which the world went crazy for. And we created a diverse superhero portfolio, with men and women of color in ‘Black Adam.’”
But all of this couldn’t save the film from faltering. Johnson likened it to a new NFL team owner coming in and saying, “Not my coach, not my quarterback,” despite past successes.
The Bigger Picture
While Dwayne Johnson isn’t wrong about DC Studios being in a state of flux during Black Adam’s release, blaming leadership changes doesn’t paint the full picture. The movie had a gargantuan budget similar to Justice League or The Flash and didn’t pull in nearly enough to justify that spending. Plus, rumors buzzed that Johnson made some behind-the-scenes moves to get Henry Cavill in the film, allegedly rubbing DC Studios leadership the wrong way.
So, while it’s fun to point fingers and play the blame game, the reality is a mix of missteps and miscalculations. And all of this gives friendly fodder to franchises like Despicable Me to have some good-natured fun at The Rock’s expense.
And there we have it: a nice slice of Hollywood drama served up with a heaping helping of humor. If this gave you a chuckle or two, why not share this article with a friend? Sometimes, we all need a little laugh at the expense of our favorite stars and their larger-than-life egos. After all, in the world of entertainment, there’s always room for a little bit of fun and games.
