Black Adam was arguably DC’s highest-profile film of 2022. All eyes were on “The Man in Black” when it was released in October as DC was in the midst of a major change of direction.
Dwayne Johnson announces that Black Adam will be profitable.
The Dwayne Johnson-led superhero flick topped the box office charts for three weeks before being ousted by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. The Black Panther sequel ended up grossing almost the same amount Black Adam did in just three days.
It then went downhill for Black Adam as the movie gate attendance slowed. The film has grossed around $387 million after seven weeks in theaters and industry experts say the movie will end up losing $50-100 million.
Dwayne Johnson has come to the defense of the film he worked on for over a decade. The actor said the film should generate profits for Warner Bros. and DC Studios. The Rock tweeted that Black Adam “will favor $52-72 million.”
I waited to confirm with the financiers before sharing this excellent #BlackAdam news – our film WILL PROFIT between $52M and $72M.
Do.
At nearly $400 million worldwide, we’re building our new franchise step by step (the first Captain America made $370 million) for DC’s future.https://t.co/GBIgsbtnkq— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) December 7, 2022
According to a new article from Deadline, Black Adam earned $390 million in worldwide gross revenue and spent $80-100 million on impressions and advertising. The film would end up earning between $52 million and $72 million for its theatrical release. This excludes additional revenue the film made from the sale of Black Adam merchandise.
Interestingly, Johnson mentioned that Captain America: The First Avenger only earned $370 million in 2011. The film is Chris Evans’ first solo outing as the Star-Spangled Man with a Plan.
The Chris Evans-directed trilogy ended up grossing over $2.2 billion in total. The per-movie average for the series is around $745 million. The film also came at a time when superhero films were just beginning to carve out a place at the global box office.
For comparison, DC’s The Batman starring Robert Pattinson grossed over $770 million at the worldwide box office. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever currently sits at $735 million and will earn even more as the film is still playing in theaters. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the undisputed king of the superhero box office this year after earning $955 million.
Film producer and financier Joe Singer has weighed in on Black Adam’s reported losses. “I’ve read the claims that Black Adam will lose money. It’s not true,” Singer says. “The picture may be considered underwhelming as it had Dwayne Johnson in a DC movie. However, the picture will break even and generate some profit.”
Even though Black Adam is making a profit, Dwayne Johnson’s future in the DC Universe is still up in the air. The recent closure of Wonder Woman 3 would have put a damper on the Superman and Batman sequels. However, Singer argues that sequels are still the way to go.
“Sequels and franchises are the lifeblood of our business,” says Singer. “They have a lower risk profile and generally a higher upside. Having talk of a Black Adams sequel is how a studio creates long-term sustainable value.”
The future of Black Adam and the rest of the DC Universe will be discussed next week as James Gunn and Peter Safran present their plans to the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Zaslav, and other key executives. Perhaps we’ll get a clearer picture of what the future holds for the DC Universe once Gunn and Safran officially announce their vision for the studio and its superheroes.
