Fans of the DC Universe are humorously expressing gratitude towards Dwayne Johnson, the former “Black Adam” actor, for the newfound success of James Gunn’s “Superman,” which opened in theaters recently and achieved an impressive $22.5 million in box office previews, the highest for any film this year. The positive reception sees “Superman” receiving an 82% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, leading to a wave of reactions on social media.
Commentators recall that Johnson had previously met with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav in 2022, where plans were discussed regarding Superman’s integration into the “Black Adam” narrative, as well as a potential leadership role for Johnson’s production company, Seven Bucks. However, after “Black Adam” underperformed, Johnson and his company were removed from the DC equation when Zaslav appointed Gunn and Peter Safran to lead the franchise.
With the current success of “Superman,” many fans are ironically crediting Johnson for his role in indirectly steering Warner Bros. away from problematic decisions around the prior DCEU direction. One social media user noted, “Thank you Dwayne Johnson for putting the final nail in the coffin of the trainwreck DCEU,” referring to the opportunity created for Gunn and the new vision for the superhero universe.
The enthusiasm among fans indicates a renewed sense of hope for the DC franchise, with many expressing excitement over the direction in which Gunn is taking DC films. Observations of this sentiment indicate that the rebooted universe could lead to more beloved adaptations of iconic characters.
In a lighthearted fashion, fans have jokingly credited Johnson for paving the way to this positive shift, despite his past association with a film that is now viewed as the catalyst for necessary change within the cinematic universe. Overall, the strong box office performance and favorable early reviews of “Superman” suggest that the franchise may be on a promising path moving forward.