Dwayne Johnson's Failed Superman Replacement Officially Makes a Streaming Comeback

James Gunn's DC Universe continues to expand with the release of Lanterns and other upcoming projects, but that doesn't mean that the previous adaptations get any love. A devoted fanbase still follows the Snyderverse, with some projects still being watched to this day, despite their initial reception during their theatrical run. And with Superman set to return to Man of Tomorrow, fans have recently been tuning in to this one DC project that could have brought the Man of Steel back, as well as interest in the DCU, before Gunn got involved.

Before David Corenswet wore the red cape, Henry Cavill portrayed Clark Kent/Superman since 2013, starting with Man of Steel. Since then, he has made a handful of appearances in the DCU, but his character would make "headless cameos" in future projects, as seen in Shazam! and The Flash. However, one DC project not only brought the character back, but also almost paved the way for a Man of Steel sequel.

Black Adam was a 2022 superhero film that starred Dwayne Johnson as the DC anti-hero Black Adam, and its post-credit scene featured the return of Cavill's Superman. Recently, Black Adam became a streaming hit, landing at #5 on Netflix's Top 10 Movie Charts Worldwide, sitting between A Minecraft Movie and Riot. For those who haven't seen the feature, Black Adam serves as an origin story for Black Adam, who is freed from his imprisonment after nearly 5,000 years. After initially rejecting the idea of becoming a hero, he eventually embraces his role as Kahndaq's protector and saves the country from Sabbac (Marwan Kenzari). But because Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) still saw him as a threat, she warned that she would retaliate if he left the fictional country.

Not only did this feature bring back Cavill's Superman, it also introduced the Justice Society, featuring Hawkman (Aldis Hodge), Doctor Fate (Pierce Brosnan), Cyclone (Quintessa Swindell), and Atom Smasher (Noah Centineo). Despite getting a second chance through streaming, its box office performance said otherwise: it generated only $393.5 million worldwide. Critics also panned it, giving it a 39% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

How 'Black Adam' Almost Brought Back Cavill's Superman

In the comics, Black Adam was meant to be Shazam's nemesis, but in the DCU, the character was marketed as someone who could rival Superman, with Johnson claiming that Black Adam would "change the hierarchy of power" in the franchise. This was seen in the film's post-credit scene, where Cavill's Superman made a proper cameo, telling Black Adam that his presence became another instance where "the world became nervous", with the first being him. Since his return, reports said Warner Bros. was going to develop a Man of Steel 2, 11 years after the first one, which had fans excited. However, when Gunn and Peter Safran took over DC Studios, Cavill was no longer Superman, along with other established cast members in the superhero franchise.