Warning: spoilers for Shazam! Fury of the Gods are aheadDwayne “the Rock” Johnson used to have big plans for the future of the DC Universe, but it seems these have all been dashed. Johnson found himself affiliated with the world of DC films since Shazam! went into development, with Johnson attached to either play the child-turned-adult superhero Shazam or the antihero Black Adam. Eventually, Shazam! was split into two projects, with Zachary Levi taking over the role of Billy Batson, a.k.a. Shazam, and Dwayne Johnson appearing as Black Adam in an eponymous 2022 spinoff film, with the intention that the pair would meet on-screen in DC’s future.

Following the October 2022 release of Black Adam, Johnson began to report that Black Adam would be the first film in “Phase One” of a new storytelling initiative at DC Studios, with new projects being built around Black Adam and his relationship to other DCEU characters. This most prominently included Henry Cavill’s Superman, whose cameo in Black Adam’s post-credits scene implied that the actor would stick around. However, James Gunn and Peter Safran’s takeover of DC Studios, the reveal of the upcoming slate of Chapter 1 projects, and the 2023 release of box-office flop Shazam! Fury of the Gods, have put an abrupt end to Johnson’s DC master plan.

5 Black Adam Underperformed At The Box Office

Over its several years of development, Black Adam became a passion project for Dwayne Johnson, and the stepping stone for his bright and lengthy future in the DC Universe. However, Black Adam didn’t fare as well as anybody at DC had hoped, with the film only grossing a total of $393 million at the box office on a budget of over $200 million after marketing and distribution costs. This earned Black Adam the loathed box-office flop status, becoming the latest in a long line of DC projects to be met with mixed-to-negative reviews and suffer financially, with no DC Studios project passing the $400 million mark since 2018’s Aquaman.

The root of Black Adam’s box office problems lie with its use of budget, with several high-profile names such as Pierce Brosnan, Viola Davis, Henry Cavill, and Dwayne Johnson himself stretching the budget very thin. This was perhaps a contributing factor to criticisms surrounding the often lackluster visual effects of Black Adam, particularly in one now-iconic moment of flight for Johnson’s Teth-Adam. While a smaller budget worked for Shazam!, a film considered a hit despite only grossing $366 million (on a $100 million budget), Black Adam simply didn’t strike the same chord with audiences.

4 Dwayne Johnson Has No DC Movie Future Now

On October 20, 2022, one day before Black Adam’s release, producers Hiram Garcia and Beau Flynn revealed to Comicbook.com that a sequel to Black Adam was already planned, and had been fast-tracked into development. This sequel would have marked the build up to an eventual battle between Johnson’s Black Adam and Cavill’s Superman, connecting directly to Black Adam’s post-credits scene. These plans were reiterated in December of that year, despite the fallout from Black Adam’s box-office failure and the massive changes occurring at DC Studios as Gunn and Safran took over as co-CEOs from former head Walter Hamada.

It was later on in December when James Gunn confirmed that there were currently no plans to develop a sequel to Black Adam. All hope might not be lost for Dwayne Johnson, however, as Gunn did mention that there may be valuable ways to include Black Adam in the future of his new DC Universe, but with most other projects being rebooted, recast, and reshuffled, it’s likely that Johnson’s career at DC Studios has come to an end. This has been all but confirmed since Shazam! Fury of the Gods also failed at the box office, and Johnson’s plans for a Black Adam and Superman battle have finally been dashed.

3 Henry Cavill’s Superman Return Was Quickly Ended

James Gunn and Peter Safran assumed control of DC Studios on November 1, 2022, and immediately set to work on designing a new slate of projects for the future of the franchise, hoping to revitalize the world of DC films and move away from the mistakes of the past. Prior to this, however, Henry Cavill’s cameo in Black Adam’s post-credits scene, his first time appearing as Superman since 2017’s Justice League, sparked speculation that he would finally be returning to the coveted role. Cavill himself claimed his cameo would be “a very small taste of what’s to come” on an October 24, 2022 Instagram post.

Despite a highly-anticipated sequel to 2013’s Man of Steel being reported to be in development before Gunn and Safran’s appointment, which would have connected directly to Black Adam, December 2022 saw Gunn reveal that Cavill would not be returning as Clark Kent, a.k.a. Superman, in the new DC Universe. Instead, 2025’s Superman: Legacy, the film expected to kick off Gunn’s new DCU, would reboot the character and star a new actor in the role. While this caused an uproar among Cavill’s fans, Gunn also mentioned that he had been in talks with Cavill about returning as a new character, though it’s unclear if this will actually occur.

Related: Superman: Legacy: Release Date, Plot Details & Everything We Know

2 Justice Society Can Return… But Without Black Adam

One of the best aspects of Black Adam was the introduction of the Justice Society of America, featuring Dr. Fate, Hawkman, Cyclone, and Atom Smasher. The Justice Society were the first team of superheroes ever introduced, debuting in 1940’s All Star Comics #3, and even though they were seen in various forms in DC TV shows such as Smallville, Legends of Tomorrow, and Stargirl, Black Adam marked their debut in the DC shared universe. Black Adam’s failure could mean that the Justice Society will once again be going back into hiding, but they could still have one clear connection to Gunn’s new DC Universe.

The Justice Society of America were once again referenced during Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ mid-credits scene, which saw Jennifer Holland and Steve Agee reprise their roles of Emilia Harcourt and John Economos from HBO Max’s Peacemaker series. The pair of ARGUS agents approached Shazam with the proposition of joining the Justice Society, though he mistakenly assumed they were discussing the much more high-profile Justice League. This establishes a clear connection between the Justice Society and Peacemaker, and since the latter has been confirmed to have a future in Gunn’s DC Universe, the former could too. This could also tease a potential future for Shazam, even after Fury of the Gods.

1 The Rock Is Being (Partly) Blamed For Shazam 2’s Failure

Despite initially being involved in the development of Shazam! and Black Adam, it was reported by The Wrap in March 2023 that Dwayne Johnson might have actually contributed to Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ critical and commercial failures. It was revealed that Dwayne Johnson failed Shazam! Fury of the Gods by vetoing several ideas that could have better connected the project to the wider world of the DC Universe. This included featuring a cameo from Zachary Levi’s Shazam in Black Adam’s post-credits scene, and seeing the return of Justice Society members in Shazam! Fury of the Gods’ post-credits scenes.

The fact that Dwayne Johnson himself stepped in to block certain ideas from being produced for Shazam! Fury of the Gods perhaps implies that, until very recently, he had still been under the impression that he could assume some sort of control at DC Studios. After his previous proclamation that Black Adam would be the start of a new storytelling era for DC, it seems that very short-lived era has now come to an end. It’s unclear what the future holds for Shazam and Black Adam in James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DC Universe, but it seems likely that this could be the end of the road for both.

Source: Henry Cavill/Instagram, The Wrap

The Arrowverse marked a before and after in DC Comics television franchises. The CW, Marc Guggenheim, and Greg Berlanti established a strong universe featuring characters from the company, connecting stories and creating incredible crossovers.

However, as the years went by and the superhero genre exploded in theaters, enthusiasm for the Arrowverse faded, especially as the quality of the shows did as well. Beyond that, they managed to do what few had done on the big screen, adapting some of the most popular story arcs on pages like Flashpoint and Crisis on Infinite Earths.

With the end of Arrow in 2020, the universe began to fall apart little by little, primarily due to the network crisis and Warner Discovery. After that, Supergirl, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, Batwoman, and Black Lightning also fell into oblivion until only The Flash and Superman & Lois were left standing. However, the latter is no longer considered part of the Arrowverse.

The arrival of Peter Safran and James Gunn at DC Studios, a division that will organize all projects related to the brand, whether in film, television, video games, or animation, poses a new future for the franchise. And not everyone seems to be happy with that.

Related: The Flash Announces Final Episode Release Date

Marc Guggenheim Feels Like He Wasted His Time

Through its newsletter(via Deadline), Arrowverse co-creator Marc Guggenheim wrote upset about Gunn and Safran’s lack of interest in the work being done in the Arrowverse:

“Not a job, mind you. A meeting. A conversation. A small recognition of what I’d tried to contribute to the grand tapestry that is the DC Universe. I’d only spent nine years toiling in that vineyard, after all. Although working for DC had been creatively fulfilling, it involved a lot of adversity, challenges, and personal sacrifices — none of which seem to have accrued to any professional benefit. Simply put, the Arrowverse hasn’t led to any other gigs, so it feels — at least on a career level — that I really wasted my time.”

Since his arrival as Co-CEO of DC Studios, Gunn has contacted some of the workers of the old administration and talked with different actors who have gone through DC, like Henry Cavill or Dwayne Johnson. He has even reportedly offered projects to people like Ben Affleck, although as a director and not as an actor. So it’s a real surprise that he hasn’t reached out to the minds behind the Arrowverse to at least have a chat.

The new DCU is only just getting started, though, and there’s still plenty of time for old acquaintances and new talent to arrive to help shape it, both in front of and behind the cameras.

After the release of Titans Season 4 Part 2 trailer, new details about the show’s crossover episode with Stargirl has been revealed by its director. 

Although Stargirl was cancelled by The CW, Brec Bassinger’s titular DC heroine is still poised to return for one more adventure alongside the Titans. 

Plot details of the crossover are still being kept under wraps, but it is expected to heavily feature Ryan Potter’s Beast Boy. 

When Will Titans Crossover With Stargirl Premiere?

Titans director Eric Dean Stanton confirmed on Twitter that the show’s crossover episode with Stargirl will premiere on Thursday, April 20, on HBO Max. 

Stanton also revealed that the episode is titled, “Dude Where’s My Gar?,” with the director saying that “there is so much bucket-listness” in the installment that could have been the title:

“Coming 4/20/23 the comic that made me want to be a storyteller! #Directorslife [‘Titans’] Final Season. “Dude, Where’s My Gar.” 

There is so much bucket-listness in this episode that could have been the title.”

Bassinger previously confirmed the crossover by sharing a behind-the-scenes photo of herself alongside Ryan Potter, Stanton, and Stargirl producer Geoff Johns: 

As pointed out by @StargirlWiki, the crossover episode was supposed to be Episode 7, but this new move confirmed that it is now Episode 9. 

Moreover, this is the first episode of Titans to be co-written by a cast member since Potter is one of the scribes.

How Stargirl Fits in Titans Season 4 (Theory)

Titans Season 4 Part 1’s ending was quite unfortunate for the team, with Mother Mayhem seemingly defeating the Titans. After the team vanished, Ryan Potter’s Gar aka Beast Boy was the only one left, with him being transported to the Red (a force that connects all living organisms within the universe). 

Given that the crossover features Gar in a more prominent role, it’s possible that Brec Bassinger’s Stargirl will only meet the lone Titan member in the episode. While this is unfortunate, there is a potential explanation as to why this will happen. 

Considering that Beast Boy was transported to the Red at the end of Season 4 Part 1, it’s possible that the installment would feature his escape from that dimension, leading to a trip to the Multiverse, specifically Stargirl’s Earth-2. 

However, the downside to this theory is Stargirl or the Justice Society of America is not aware of Multiverse travel so it would be hard for Gar to return to his Earth.

Another possible way for Gar to return to reality would mean escaping from the Red accidentally transports him into Blue Valley (Stargirl’s town). 

If this happens, this would mean that the Stargirl who will appear in Titans is a different version from The CW series. (The Crisis On Infinite Earths crossover established that Titans and Stargirl are set on different realities.)

It remains to be seen if Bassinger’s Stargirl will have a brief role in the upcoming crossover, but seeing her return is already a win for fans. 

Titans Season 4 Part 2 is set to premiere with a two-episode slate on HBO Max on Thursday, April 13.