Zachary Levi Seemingly Confirms Report Dwayne Johnson Axed ‘Black Adam’ Cameo That Could Have Bolstered ‘Shazam 2’ Box Office

“Shazam! Fury of the Gods” hit theatres on March 17, resulting in a disappointing opening weekend with just $65 million at the worldwide box office — a 43 per cent drop from the first “Shazam” movie.

While there are certainly many reasons behind why the film flopped (an anemic 52 per cent on Rotten Tomatoes, for example), a report from TheWrap offers another factor: Dwayne Johnson and his attempt to place his Black Adam and Henry Cavill’s Superman at the centre of the DC Extended Universe.

According to TheWrap, “Black Adam” was intended to feature a post-credits sequence featuring Zachary Levi’s “Shazam” character, which would have linked the two movies and, in theory, bolstered the success of “Fury of the Gods”. That sequence, the outlet reports, would have seen Levi’s character recruited for the Justice Society — until Johnson personally “vetoed” the plan.

Instead, the post-credits sequence featured Black Adam receiving a surprise visit from the Man of Steel, with Henry Cavill reprising the role of Superman, with the scene representing Johnson’s intention for future films featuring the two superheroes.

“Dwayne tries to sell himself as bigger than the movie,” a “high-ranking Hollywood executive who asked for anonymity” said of Johnson. “He’s one of the few people who always thinks he’s the most important person in any situation or room.”

The report alleges that then-DC Films head Walter Hamada vetoed bringing Cavill in for the cameo, “but Johnson went over his head and got approval from Warner Bros. Film Group co-CEOs Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy,” noted TheWrap.

“Instead of making a movie, he wants to extend his brand and make a brand centred on himself,” said the unnamed executive.

In addition, a post Johnson wrote on Instagram declaring that “the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change” was meant to imply that Black Adam was now at the top of the DCEU alongside Superman — effectively shutting out Levi’s Shazam.

After the DCEU shakeup that placed James Gunn and Peter Safron in the top positions, it was announced the planned “Black Adam” sequel had been scrapped, and the earlier announcement that Cavill was returning as Superman was rescinded.

While reps for Johnson didn’t respond to a request for comment, Levi took to Instagram Stories to comment on a post featuring key points from TheWrap‘s report, seemingly confirming its accuracy by writing, “The truth shall set you free.”