Did Dwayne Johnson reject a cameo in Shazam 2? ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
Advertisement
Dwayne Johnson played Black Adam for the better part of a decade and was offered a chance to appear in the Shazam 2 sequel, and he said, “Nah.” The news came from The Wrap, revealing that Johnson was straight-up shutting down the idea of sharing the screen with Zachary Levi’s Shazam. So, what’s up?
Turns out, The Rock had a legit vision for Black Adam—and it didn’t involve mixing it up with Shazam’s more light-hearted antics. Johnson’s focus was laser-sharp on making Black Adam the ultimate DC Universe heavyweight, and crossing over with Shazam was just not part of the plan. And it wasn’t just about Shazam 2. This whole thing had roots in Johnson’s bigger mission: Superman.
Advertising
Advertising
But we all know how that ended. Cavill’s Superman got the axe when James Gunn and Peter Safran took over the DCU, and suddenly, Johnson’s vision of the ultimate battle felt a lot like a canceled storyline. With Cavill out, Johnson had to settle for, well, Shazam. But even that seemed like too much of a step down for Black Adam.
Reports suggest Johnson didn’t just block a Shazam 2 cameo. No, he went all in. He allegedly vetoed a plan to have Justice Society characters appear in the Shazam 2 mid-credits scene, forcing director David F. Sandberg to make some last-minute changes. Sandberg confirmed that the scene “fell apart three days before we were going to roll cameras.” But Levi didn’t stop there—he took to Instagram stories, basically backing up the claim that Johnson was throwing his weight around.
Advertisement
Why the drama? Well, Johnson didn’t want Black Adam anywhere near Shazam’s vibe, and that meant keeping his character far away from the Shazam universe. Think of it like keeping your super cool, antihero character away from the goofy kid cousin who can’t stop cracking jokes. In Johnson’s eyes, crossing those worlds could’ve diluted the gravitas he was trying to build for Black Adam.
Advertisement
And now, with the DCU getting a hard reset courtesy of Gunn and Safran, it’s safe to say that Johnson won’t be strapping on the Black Adam suit anytime soon. Black Adam 2? Don’t hold your breath. And while it might have been a missed opportunity for a showdown with Shazam, fans are left wondering if the Rock’s ego played a bigger part in this than we thought.
Whatever happens next, it’s clear that Black Adam and Shazam’s big battle isn’t happening in Shazam 2—and maybe not for a while. Johnson’s grand DC plans may have been swept off the rug, but hey, we’re all here for the drama, right?
