Dwayne Johnson's debut in the DCEU as Johnson has said that Black Adam is set to cause a tonal shift in the DCEU, sparking "a new antihero era." However, based on the franchise's past, this statement seems misleading.
Previously, the DCEU has struggled to find a sturdy foundation while building its cinematic universe, but it has released a number of successful films, many of which focused on antihero-driven narratives. These include 2016's Batman v Superman where he attempts to put an end to the Man of Steel.
In this way, The Rock's Black Adam does less to mark a new antihero era for the franchise than it does to show how DC has wasted several opportunities already. In fact, following the release of Black Adam, there are far more hero titles than antiheroes on the way. However, it could be the start of a stronger, better-connected cinematic universe, as long as DC doesn't repeat past mistakes.
Why DC Wasted So Many Of Its Antiheroes (Can Its Future Avoid That?)
The DCEU hasn't had the same coordinated time, care, and planning dedicated to it that some other interconnected movie franchises have already. In order to keep up with the competition, it decided to cash in on the well-known heroes and villains that were already beloved characters and attempt to win the audience over with big names and even bigger team-ups. From what is now regarded as the first DCEU film, the Superman reboot in 2013, it immediately moved on to larger-scale films, often featuring antiheroes. In the rush to get these characters out into the world, there wasn't adequate time to give any of them their own story.
While some of these early projects faced criticism, that isn't to say that the DCEU is dead, or that it can't recover from its eager beginnings. James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, part sequel and part reboot, repaired some of these mistakes and paved the way for success, announcing another absurdly large cast and then cutting it in half almost immediately after the film started. The focus then shifted to a smaller core group of antiheroes and gave each an impactful narrative to follow. The DCEU may need to shake up its casting or attempt a few more soft reboots, but if it continues to bring in great talent, things could quickly improve. Johnson appears to be all in with Black Adam as both the star and an executive producer on the project. With like this, the DCEU has a good chance of avoiding its previous pitfalls.
