The Rock saying "The hierarchy of power is about to change" and then proceeding to destroy the DCEU like a bulldozer running over a house is poetic

I never thought the Rock would end up being Hulk Hogan levels of believing his own hype.

I guess DC fans technically did get Black Adam vs Shazam... only it happened off-screen, and they both lost.

It honestly blows my mind that they let The Rock have SO much power as a producer when he hadn't even proven to have any success in the role yet! Even RDJ or Chris Evans at the peak of their success as Iron Man or Captain America would never have been allowed that kind of power. It just makes NO sense at all.

I was definitely confused at first about Shazam II and Black Adam being separate movies. Just fully assumed that The Rock would be playing Black Adam IN Shazam II.

I don’t really get why The Rock was so against Black Adam fighting Shazam, Shazam was a pretty fun movie, it’s probably just because he wanted to fight Superman to satisfy his ego

How does Rock thinks he's above or not connected to Shazam? Dude, you literally both wear the same suit.

It’s insane how badly the Rock thought Black Adam was gonna be his magnum opus and it’s basically destroyed his entire reputation and potentially his entire career going forward

It’s so funny to think that the Rock wants to see himself fight Superman so bad that he chose to play an obscure B-list villain just because superman’s weakness is magic.

The Rock: “The hierarchy of power is about to change 💪🏻” James Gunn: “Yeahhh just not the way you think…”

The only reason I am interested in this movie right now is to be able to watch mr sunday videos about it...

Can't wait for the tell-all documentary about the behind the scenes drama of the DCEU. This year alone has been insane.

I wouldn't be surprised if they had originally planned to do Shazam vs Black Adam for the second movie. They set it up in the first film. The Wizard said that the council chose someone unworthy and it almost destroyed the world. It was a pretty long scene, they had a magical projection showing a silhouette of Black Adam.

Another big hurt for Shazam 2 is the reboot announcement. These movies always like to build to the next thing, but we already know the franchise is on its way out.

Zach Levi is like Paul Rudd. Likeable enough for his own franchise, but he can't be an op character. Zach would be a fantastic Plastic Man

Imagine if the actor who plays The Guy Who Shouts Rodney stopped Marvel from using Man Thing in Werewolf By Night, because he wanted to have Man Thing fight Spider-Man in the first installment of a new, Man-Thing centric MCU

Rock could have been the central villain and possibly saved the DC cinematic universe but he couldn't imagine a world where it wasn't JUST him shining, and that's the downfall. Ya love to see it

Yes. Because him having his own movie and not being the villain in the first shaman is like having Iron Monger having his own movie and not being in Iron man.

It's really weird, cause Superman and Shazam VS Black Adam was an incredible short, but at no point during that short did I think "this should be several movies leading to a conclusion where they fight"

It's mental that the ROCK, the Black Adam actor, actively tried to hijack a big studio superhero universe and make it about his D-list villain. Not just "Let's see if we can make a few successful Black Adam films" but "I want to shape the main universe and centre it around me". And apparently even had the power to tell his Black Adam co-stars what movies they could and couldn't appear in. And the only reason he was even able to TRY that is cos he's very, very famous and successful. If it was any other actor playing Black Adam there wouldn't have been any of that.

Rock being cast as Black Adam is like one of rare fan castings that actually came to fruition. We never got Jensen Ackles as Flash or Nathan Fillion as Green Lantern. But, we got this. And the only reason is that Rock kinda looks like Black Adam. Nothing in any of Rock's performances at that point was in any way similar to what Black Adam was in comics at the time. And the Rock latched onto it cause someone on twitter told him he should do it. Lets be honest Rock hasn't read a single panel of a Black Adam comicbook in his life. Good chance he never held any comic in his hands. He just heard that Adam is powerful af and went with it. For like a decade he kept spamming about power levels like a 6-year old kid on a playground arguing how his dad could beat up anybody cause he has special invidible anti-punch shield or something. I can't even imagine what a clusterfuck his wannabe Superman v Black Adam movie would be when Rock is so insecure that he can't even have Jason Statham land more punches on him in a movie. That's like Mickey and Bugs having the same amount of frames in Roger Rabbit. DC would have to drag Superman through mud to stroke this guy's ego. He actually thinks he's bigger than one of the most iconic properties of all times. A character who's symbol is up there with Coca-Cola, Santa and the christisn cross. Did I say Supes v Black Adam? He would insist on top billing.

The rocks dream for the dcu was various heroes dealing with natural disaters/one man military style infiltration missions. All played by the rock in a comic accurate costume (underneath his cargo pants and white shirt with one undone button and rolled sleeves

I think the rock believed that if he got to be a superhero, it would be a huge movie and since it wasn’t, he doesn’t want to get trapped in a comic book movie cycle so he’s weaseling his way out

I would like to see Superman fight a magic user but going for a character that is basically identical to him in powers would be boring... I want to have Superman fight like a wizard who does spells

Dwayne Johnson has a clause in his contract that he cannot loose any fight on screen, so it’s not surprising that things turned out this way.

The #1 issue for movies this year is that everyone is broke and they can just wait for streaming. WB is streets ahead by just not bothering to waste the money.

Isn't perfect though to have a Snyderish Black Adam against a Warner Bros-y Shazam?

"Never give a wrestler creative control" extends to their post-wrestling carreers, apparently

I always expected this, you think the Rock would ever tolerate being in a movie where he has to lose Zachery Levi?

In part, but DC and WB are ultimately at fault. They fumbled the DCU so badly. They're going to reboot the whole thing, and everyone knows it, so why watch Shazam II? The reboot is SO needed, that they have to put up with Miller's crazy ass until Flashpoint comes out and they can recast The Flash due to some multiverse reason. Crazy how they can fuck up some of the best characters ever so consistently.

The MCU gave us expansive continuity, but I think we’re seeing the limits. Audiences are smart enough to be thrown into a standalone movie and go “oh, I get it - this version of the hero is like this.” I’d rather see memorable, big budget standalones once in awhile where the story is free from the pressure of setting up and carrying the ongoing adventures of a hero. Some of the best comic stories are graphic novels or limited runs that don’t burden themselves with portraying the “main” versions of characters.

Hindsight here but if they did shazam and black adam as an else world movie in its own universe with its established cannon and villains they could really have stretched this out into an epic set of diverse different movies. They could have done the different time periods, world's, villains, magic. Could've been very fantastical

I am very confused about how to feel about these movies at the moment. I think Shazam 2 suffered from the "More explosions problem" and I think that Shazam facing off against Black Adam would have been better. But also I kinda liked the Rock's Black Adam. It was a very stupid blockbuster from 2007 ala Transformer, but I miss those movies. But Zachary Levi's Shazam is the best, the best casting of a character in a movie ever. I want him to be there again in a solo movie. He isn't a big brand, but he's perfect. And here is the thing. The whole story would make way more sense if Black Adam would be the villain and his solo movie wouldn't be a story. Sorry to be in the comics, but... In the Comics Black Adam was locked away in the Rock of Eternity and the sorcerers took all the strength to do that. The made the wrong choice. Now imagine that breaking the wand doesn't bring back the daughters of Atlas, but does bring back Black Adam.

I love that the Rock doesn't even understand the difference between a weakness and a vulnerability. He's vulnerable to magic champ, it's not a weakness, he's just as susceptible to it as everyone else. Kryptonite is a weakness because it only affects him that way. Gravel for brains, honestly.

Still wild to me that the actor playing Black Adam was so insecure that he tried to freeze Shazam out of the DC Universe. Can you imagine if the actor cast as Reverse Flash started trying to position himself as the center of the universe and refused to interact with The Flash? Dwayne was slapping DC and their fans in the face with his massive ego.

I’ve watched my fair share of these “exerts of an excerpt” of the podcast, but had always missed the bit about Weekly Planet having its own KZfaq channel. Subscribed!

On the topic of the disconnect you feel between Billy and Shazam, I think it's pretty perfect seeing as how Billy grew up having to be an adult at a very young age, so when given an alter ego with superpowers who could do whatever he wanted best believe he's gonna act like a kid. Also when you look at how Freddy acts when he is his alter ego (trying to be an adult) it makes sense because he is getting a chance to be what he wants to. Just a thought.

Rock thought he was Robert Downey Jr💀

I am glad this happened. While I know Vin Diesel isn’t as squeaky clean either, Dwayne certainly managed to tilt the narrative against him. Dwayne wasn’t as big a star back in 2011 to single handedly change the tide for the fast saga. That Fast 5 movie ruled.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t the early avengers feel like the actors cared more about the project rather than their individual character? The Rock, could’ve been a great Segway into making Shazam darker/more serious. I mean, that’s one of, if not the biggest aspect to their rivalry, isn’t it? Shazam being naive, but idealistic and choosing to be hopeful, believing like his idol Superman, there’s a certain line heroes/protectors aren’t supposed to cross, while BA pushes him, and even takes him down that road. Killing those close to Shazam, his friends and idols which is kinda like the final test for him to becoming a man and a full fledge hero.

My problem is that Billy and Shazam feel like 2 different people Billy is more grounded and acts more mature than when he turns into Shazam, whom acts like he is a 14 Which would be fine, if billy was the same as the first film, but he is like 20 now

When The Rock started going on about how “The hierarchy of power of the DCEU is about to change” I got a bad feeling. It seemed like he was only focused on having Black Adam fight Superman instead of Shazam, even though they’re tied together. What’s coming out now doesn’t surprise me at all.

Zachary Levi is fine, really funny. Certainly, Black Adam was a bit of a diversion and probably confused people about the Shazam franchise.

Instead of two separate movies that have nothing to do with each other, they should’ve done another BvS but this time it’s Black Adam v Shazam. Ben Affleck and Henry Cavill were co-leads in BvS so they could’ve done the same thing with the Rock and Zachary Levi. Guarantee that movie would’ve brought in more money than the two movies we got combined.

In a way black Adam was the villain of Shazam 2

So you have SHAZAM and BLACK ADAM movies. Both with SUPERMAN cameos. Then we get nothing. Except a rebooted DCU?? That's like having WrestleMania with no matches.

Maybe I'm just weird, but I can't help but see shazam and friends' costumes as if there's a pixelated blur effect on their lightning bolts, like you're trying to hide their identities really badly

This is why you hire unknown actors with no prior obligations.

If Dwayne became the villian he was intended to be, maybe the movie would have turned out great. My opinion.

It’s mental that the Rock thought Black Adam was gonna be DC’s “Iron Man” as such and be at the centre of this DC universe, and why would you not star in YOUR characters biggest rival’s movie, that’s where you’re supposed to be headed mate and maybe a team of with the legion of doom! He really tried to overstay and overstretch his welcome

Love the channel, and the podcast!! Keep up the great work

Great video. Can’t wait to catch up on the pod

How many things is James Gunn gonna get blamed for that happened before he even got there?

There’s something funny about The first Shazam hinting at Black Adam appearance through several things but the Black Adam movie seems to retcon several of these by making him less villainous.

I subd. The back and forth banter you two do is entertaining and funny

The best part of Shazam is where a 17yr old kid turns into a middle aged man that looks nothing like him

I mean it's fairly obvious that Supes is a direct rival for Black Adam don't you remember how Teth Adam called out the magic phrase "Clark Kent!" Before transforming?

The editing implying Hawkeye is worse than a C-lister got a good evil cackle out of me. Especially with that haircut. Even if Hawkeye is my favourite terrible superhero and occassional landlord.

I believe the rock was supposed to play Black Adam as the villain the first Shazam but insisted on having his own movie. I wonder if losing his star power for that first movie is why it didn’t really seem to have a sufficient budget.

10:48 if the 3.5 year gap was too much between these two films, and that was a reason for it bombing… then Guardians 3 is not looking good after a 6 year gap between entries

First Shazam was actually a really fun movie but like others I watched it at home and it still feels like that kind of movie. The time difference of course didn’t help but I’ll see it once it’s released for home viewing.

Did James ruin being old? he seems like the type to ruin being old for everyone

It is kinda wild that no one was able to intervene with the Cavill cameo and just get Zachary Levi instead. Not because Cavill is bad or anything, just that there is such a clear, obvious cameo opportunity at the end of movie introducing Black Adam: the guy who is like his main super-powered opposite in the comics with very similar powers to him they both got from the same wizard. It feels like too easy a set up for a “tune in next time” moment, but the Rock wanted to power slam Henry Cavill, so here we are.

It’s what happens when a wrestler becomes a film star. In professional wrestling they are taught to ruthlessly protects their “characters” at all cost, no loses, no humiliations, no playing second fiddle etc, this allows wrestlers to keep their star power and stay atop of wrestling promotions. It seems to me that the rock has never grown out of his pro wrestling habits and is treating his movie characters as he would his pro wrestling character, meaning his image comes above all else.

I think the Austin Powers movies would work well for the caravan of garbage series or even potentially Waynes world.

"Black Adam V Superman" would be way more fun to imagine if Dwane didnt have that "please let me win" clause". The Rock is someone who I really liked for a short amount of time and almost IMMEDIATELY started to decline in my eyes.

He had been dreaming of this movie since 2007.. Then he probably saw the Dark Knight in 2008, a villain being loved by the audience, which made him think his Black Adam will be good. Then he saw Deadpool (2016), an anti-hero (esque) film which people loved AND Joker (2019) ANOTHER anti hero/villain movie which everyone loved. Having that knowledge PLUS the power of being a producer, he really probably thought it was gonna be a box office hit. Their (Black Adam) budget was around $260m, Deadpool's and Joker's was $50-60m.. sad comparison Idk, they (DC/WB) should really re-evaluate their sh*

Based on the speculation in this video specifically, the main reason Shazam 2 isn't doing well is because fans just don't care. Thanks to James Gunn announcing that they were just going to reboot everything and more than likely any lead up this film had isn't going to have any resolution, much like the Black Adam film, and all the other storylines that the DCU has been leading up to. So since it's getting some type of reboot with some new actors etc, people just don't care because this movie doesn't mean anything in the long run.

ya know there's one bald dude that's a great superman villain, and tho he has the ego, he's smarter than trying to shift the gears of a cinematic universe like that

Always love MrWeekendFilms and Nick Masonry's take on this stuff, modern day supermen

"If it does badly, (...) We kick you in a pit". [6.56] Mason is a poet.

Dwanyes ego got in the way massively, and that paired with the fact he refuses to acknowledge Shazams existence as a Shazam villain, critically damaged both films.

I think if they did have the black adam vs shazam fight even with the basically identical powers you need to emphasise the lines they're willing to cross to differentiate the brutality of their fighting styles which unfortunately I think definitely has to have black adam kill one or multiple of the shazamily or the parents.

Collings you cheeky boy, dissing Hawkeye like that! 😅

I can totally see a Morbius-Shazam buddy-cop movie happen.

Okay but Zachary Levi should get the best dressed star in Hollywood award. I love his outfits.

The Rock's creative control at DC mirroring Hulk Hogan in WCW.

5:30 the animated black Adam Vs Superman/Shazam was actually pretty good

For all she's Gunn's wife, she is also really well suited for the role of Harcourt in Peacemaker.

Black Adam should have launched as a foil to Shazam, *then* evolved into his antihero status in a solo movie . . .

If there's any silver lining to this, I guess it is that Billy and his family might be in Gunn's new DCverse, same as to how Blue Beetle is easily able to slot into the new timeline, Gunn said.

Disney & WB: There is a Huge drop off after the first week of our super hero films. Consumers: If I'm not seeing it opening week in cinemas, I'm waiting for you to put it onto streaming in like 1-2 months, as you've been doing... duh.

This video is taken from an excerpt, incase anyone was wondering Don’t forget to leave a like on the video

If they reboot Black Adam, they should totally cast Vin Diesel in the role. Like he was Riddick, so we know Diesel can do Anti-Heros

“Headless Superman is my best friend, I’m Big-Ears Batman!” - Big Ears Batman

"That doesn't work for me Brother." - Dwayne "The Hulk Hogan" Johnson

I'm not really surprised. The Rock has always been pretty good with his fans, but his head has just gotten bigger and bigger. And he's addicted to the smell of his own shit, to ridiculous levels, and I'm not at all surprised it seems he tore a chunk out of the DC film universe on what seems to be a spiraling trajectory out of it. In the year of our lord 2023, a former pro wrestler is so against fighting a comedian in fake muscles that he demands he fight Superman or bust, that he's willing to tank his big chance to headline a film universe that potentially stood (and might still potentially stand) as a rival to the MCU. Genius. Really weird how his obsession to be a more bankable movie villain turned him into a less bankable real life villain.

Let’s all hope Gunn can fix this mess

That Black Adam wasn't a historical film, starting in Ancient Egypt with Dr Fate and Hawkman and going into the 1940s with the JSA, setting up a modern-day fight with Shazam in 2, is insane to me.

The Rock wanted to be Black Adam but he didn't want to be associated with Shazam. He just wanted to beat Superman and stroke his ego and make himself the top dog of the DCEU..

I actually remember Mason's birthday because it is also my birthday. We're about 2 months away

Unfortunate cuz Shazam is my fav superhero and theres alot of interesting stuff to do with him and his family (like you see in the 1st), but this iteration was doomed just by proxy of being in the Snyder verse. Hope we eventually get a new one in this Gunn universe.

This whole situation is just hilarious

11:46 Cotdamn! Collings flamed my man Hawkeye 🤣😂🤣

He never cared about Black Adam; he only cares about his own brand.

I feel like Fury of the Gods is one of the better superhero movies recently (I gave it a 7.8), but the audience for Shazam! is already limited. The first wasn’t a huge hit, DC has done a bad job at retaining audience attention over COVID, and they barely advertised the sequel. I think it’s marketing.

Headless Superman, or, as he's sometimes known, No-Ears Superman.

“I’m gonna base my life around this for several years” cuts deep

You know you're in bad shape when a wrestler-turned-actor (who hasn't had any proven success in the superhero genre) is calling the shots on your franchise.

So Warner Bros supposedly gave The Rock that much pull regarding Black Adam and other characters? Well it's their own fault if he says no to characters appearing in other places and they can't do anything about it I'll admit Shazam fighting Black Adam would be interesting but considering the massive tone differences in the movies they'd have to work on that without it being really jarring