The "First Chapter" of the New DC does not include "Black Adam 2"

 Johnson said in a statement on Tuesday, "James Gunn and I connected, and Black Adam will not be in their initial chapter of storytelling." But DC and Seven Bucks have agreed to keep looking at the best methods to use Black Adam in upcoming DC Multiverse chapters.

"Love @TheRock & I'm always excited to see what he & Seven Bucks do next," wrote Gunn in a statement he published. Can't wait to work with you soon.

Johnson's passion project, Adam, which debuted on October 21, had him committed to the role for about 15 years before it was ever produced.

Johnson rose to fame during that time and in 2017 used his influence to persuade Warner Bros. and New Line to create a standalone Black Adam movie rather than having the character appear in Shazam! as a villain. (Black Adam is a member of Shazam's rogue gallery in the comic books.)

The Justice Society of America and a potential Black Adam vs. Superman movie were both suggested in the film's post-credit scene, which briefly saw Henry Cavill reprise his role as Superman for the first time since Justice League. Johnson had bragged about these projects before the film's release (2017).

The phrase "The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to alter" was even used by Johnson in several promotional appearances as he worked to elevate his part of the DC slate to prominence.

Adam received mixed reviews and performed poorly at the box office, grossing $391 million worldwide. If not for a few things, starting a sequel wouldn't necessarily be an issue. One, the cost of the movie was excessive. According to insiders, the film's budget, which was originally set at $190 million, grew to $260 million as a result of expensive reshoots that took place after a subpar test screening. That excludes marketing expenses.

The movie won't make money at the box office, as stated in a Variety article from December 5; this sparked a tit-for-tat in the media over a more thorough accounting of the movie's earnings, with competitor Deadline spinning a different story two days later. Johnson offered his opinion on the film's financial success via a tweet, which is quite uncommon for an actor or producer to do. Additionally, it put the actor in a defensive crouch when he was still discussing a potential franchise for a movie whose future was already in serious doubt.

There have been recent rumors that Johnson and the studio are at odds. Johnson reportedly unfollowed Warner Bros, according to reports.

Johnson came out and admitted that he had never watched the Discovery or Black Adam channels in the first place. With many observers pointing to underlying animosity between the two camps, Johnson had not made any public comments over the appointment of Gunn and Safran.

Johnson did point out that the two get along well.

Johnson said on Tuesday, "James and I have known one other for years and have always rooted for each other to succeed. It's the same now, and I'll always support DC (and Marvel) in their pursuit of victory.

Two months ago, when Johnson was nostalgic at the Black Adam premiere in New York on October 12, when he told reporters about his first day in costume, everything appeared to be totally different. "I just took a glance in the mirror," the actor remarked. "It was a very humbling moment since I battled so hard for this movie to get this movie completed and keep it on schedule. 15 long years later, here we are.