Dwayne Johnson Envisions A More Cohesive DCEU After Black Adam

Nobody needs any reminding of all the twists and turns it's taken for Warner Bros. and their flagship DC brand to make it to this point, but do you know what would be the biggest twist of all? If after the release of "Black Adam," the hierarchy of power in the DC universe really does change. That certainly seems to be the goal in mind for the star himself, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, if he gets his way. After making no secret of the fact that the wrestler-turned-actor is willing to do whatever it takes to put his own stamp on the franchise — up to and including a crossover tussle with Superman himself — The Rock is now turning his attention to the universe at large. Or should we say multiverse? 

However expansive you (or the newly incumbent head of Warner Bros. Discovery David Zaslav) imagined the scope and scale of the DC-verse, I can promise you that The Rock is dreaming even bigger. In a recent video interview with EstoEs COMBO (via Comic Book), the movie star laid down his most ambitious vision yet for how he foresees his ideal version of the sprawling superhero IP. And he isn't hesitant about casting some shade on how WB has run things in the past.

While outlining just how much "Black Adam" will change things, Johnson had this to say:

"The fans will always guide you where you need to go. That's the new era I talk about in the DC Universe. And in the DC Universe — they haven't always listened to fans in the past, but things are different. In 'Black Adam,' things are different. So that's why we can introduce the JSA. That's why in 'Black Adam,' Superman, Batman, Aquaman, Wonder Woman, Flash — they all co-exist in our world."

Are the days when DC can properly compete with the well-oiled machine of the Marvel Cinematic Universe finally upon us? Listening to The Rock, it certainly seems that way. In recent years, audiences have seen Warner Bros. take a decidedly splintered approach to building out its crown jewel franchise. You have the ongoing DC storyline started by Zack Snyder, which has retained his main cast of actors while diverging more and more from his preferred tone. Then there's James Gunn's well-received hold on his little corner of the DC world, which we just learned may be expanding even more. And, of course, you have Matt Reeves' plans for "The Batman" (and beyond) alongside the likes of Todd Phillips' "Joker" movies.

If you ask The Rock, such a varied assortment of riches doesn't mean they can't all co-exist. As he put it, "Black Adam's not over here, and Joker's over here, and you know, Justice League is over here. In our world, they all exist." As exciting as that sounds, figuring out exactly what that means is a little harder to parse. Thankfully, the opinionated lead expands on his thoughts a little more.

"Ideally, in my mind — it's a little crazy — they all cross paths. Because the fans want that. And there's a good, creative way that we could figure that out, they all cross paths.

So Black Adam colliding with all of these characters in the DC Universe, we come to the table with that open mind. If you said to me, 'Suicide Squad?' I say, 'Yes.' 'Justice League?' I say, 'Yes.' You name them, open up the book. Everything."

We'll find out if this is a genuine vision for the future or just politicking for "Black Adam" when the film opens on October 21, 2022.