Dwayne Johnson: Studio ‘Inexplicably and Inexcusably’ Didn’t Want to Bring Henry Cavill Back

Warning: This article contains spoilers for Black Adam

With Black Adam still in theaters and dominating the charts with its digital release, Dwayne Johnson has revealed that the move to bring back Henry Cavill as Superman was largely thanks to him and his team at Seven Bucks Productions.

“If we’re gonna establish Black Adam as the most powerful, unstoppable force in the DC universe, we have to bring back the most powerful, unstoppable force of all time in any universe,” Johnson said in a video posted to Twitter. “And you guys know who I’m talking about. Of course, that’s Superman, and that’s Henry Cavill.”

As the movie’s marketing tagline continued to reiterate, the Rock promised that Black Adam will shake up the “hierarchy of power in the DC universe.” The film proved that Black Adam is an unbelievably powerful character, but fans will always be asking themselves: is he more powerful than Superman? Johnson desperately wanted Cavill to return so as to prove Black Adam’s strength, but it seems Warner Bros was not so keen to bring the Man of Steel star back.

Sayin’ thank ya so much from my ol’ pick up truck for all the amazing #BlackAdam support and reactions
#1 movie on iTunes ?
We’ll remain in theaters as well throughout the holidays ??⚡️
Also wanted to give ya some #Superman info ??
Happy ?? pic.twitter.com/WyGa49J7Dr

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) November 23, 2022

“At the end of the day, the studio was not bringing Henry Cavill back, inexplicably and inexcusably,” Johnson said.

However, he and his team “weren’t going to take no for an answer.”

“For us, there was no viable, logical way that you can attempt to build out the DC universe with the most powerful force and the greatest superhero of all time sitting on the sidelines,” he explained. “It’s impossible to do. You can venn diagram business-wise this whole thing 90 different times, but it all comes back to: where’s Superman? You have to have Superman back in the mix.”

He continued: “And there was no other Superman, by the way, to bring back. Henry Cavill is our generation’s Superman and, in my opinion, the greatest Superman.”

Thanks to an enticing cameo in the film’s post-credits scene, it seems that Johnson’s dedication finally paid off. Cavill is back in the suit, and now it seems probable that, one day, Black Adam and Superman will get to have an all-out brawl and find out who really is the most powerful being in the DC Universe.

For Johnson, the move signals a promising future for James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC.

“Bringing Henry back, now we build out the DC universe properly, strategically, smartly,” Johnson said. “Again, the hierarchy of power in the DC universe has changed. And of course now we have new leadership at DC and at Warner Brothers. Again, hierarchy of power in the DC universe has changed. It’s a new era in the DC universe.”

Carson Burton is a freelance news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter at @carsonsburton