Dwayne Johnson Prevented Shazam 2’s Black Adam Cameos (Report)

According to a new report, Dwayne Johnson prevented one in particular Black Adam Tie-in from appearing in the recently released Shazam! wrath of the gods.

As long as Shazam is part of the DCEU, Johnson seems to have made his thoughts on the character clear. This was compounded when Johnson’s DC hero Black Adam finally got his movie off the ground, leading fans to ask when the two characters (who are closely related in DC Comics) would cross paths.

While cameos and crossovers between the two may have been originally planned, the Black Adam star has seemingly squashed every connection between the two, and reportedly one “thinly veiled contempt” for Zachary Levi’s DC heroes and his films.

This resulted in Johnson straight-up “[passing] on a cameo” In Shazam! wrath of the godsas the wrestling star-turned-actor preferred the two characters to remain “separated.”

Dwayne Johnson lays down the smackdown on Shazam 2 cameo

Black Adam Star Dwayne Johnson has reportedly dropped another cameo from his DC blockbuster in David F. Sandberg’s Shazam! wrath of the gods.

According to The Wrap, Shazam 2Mid-credits, Jennifer Holland’s Emilia Harcourt and Steve Agee’s John Economos recruit Zachary Levi’s titular character to the Justice Society of America (JSA) because of Johnson “The use of Black Adam actors has been nullified” subsequently.

The JSA played a prominent role in Johnson’s Black Adam movie, with no clear indication of if and when they will reappear in the DCU in the future.

The report further revealed that this isn’t the first time the Black Adam actor has shut down a Shazam/JSA crossover.

Johnson reportedly vetoed a plan that would have ended his DC debut with a post-credits scene in which Aldis Hodge’s Hawkman – along with a host of other costumed heroes – approaches Shazam about the team connect with superpowers.

Hawkman was originally slated to star in his own spin-off film before James Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios, so perhaps Johnson wanted to keep his corner of the universe to himself.

DC had a Dwayne Johnson problem

It’s interesting to see an actor so adamant about joining the DC Universe and not really wanting to partake in the connective tissue that makes those cinematic universes work. And that means a lot more than just adding a Superman stinger to the end of your own movie.

He’s talked about the sonic differences between Black Adam and Shazam and wants to keep the two separate because of that, but this genre overlap is necessary to the universe building. These characters all exist in a common world/universe/multiverse and should be able to appear in each other’s movies and TV shows as the creators see fit.

But it seems Warner Bros. and the previous DC regime were so focused on placating Dwayne Johnson that they sacrificed valuable worldbuilding to do so.

And it wasn’t just Shazam that Johnson seemed to have an issue with. He apparently “politely declined” a cameo appearance The Lightning as well as.

While it won’t matter going forward as Johnson’s time with DC appears to be over, the actor may have made a decent showing Black Adam as proto-Elseworlds if he were not willing to partake in the universe he was so keen to join.

Shazam! wrath of the gods is now in cinemas worldwide.