Dwayne Johnson's confident that we will see his Black Adam take on Superman

Dwayne Johnson on set of Black Adam — (Image credit: Warner Bros)

There's a power shift going on in the DC universe. Where once Superman was the most powerful being, now comes another: Black Adam.

Dwayne Johnson will soon be bringing the anti-hero to the big screen, and Total Film sat down with the actor for the new issue of the magazine to talk about bringing Black Adam to life. Johnson reveals that the team behind the movie knew exactly what they wanted to do with the character – and were also acutely aware of what they didn't want to do, too.

"You get one shot out of the gates to build these characters properly," says Johnson. "We paid attention to some of the pitfalls that other films had experienced in the past, in the world of DC, and what, rightfully, got a lot of fans unhappy and pissed – and, as a fan, I was one of them.

"So, let’s make sure we respect tradition and mythology, but let’s not be handcuffed creatively. We can do anything if we keep the audience first. So to me, there’s a battle that’s going to go down one day, between Black Adam and Superman. I don’t know who that Superman is going to be, and I don’t know who’s going to play him. That’s OK. I don’t need to know right now. But I’m confident in knowing that [laughs]. And that’s based out of what fans want. We worked backwards from there."

We've seen Batman v Superman, so why not Black Adam v Superman? The question, as Johnson alludes to, concerns which version of Superman he would face. There have been reports that Warner Bros. will reboot the Last Son of Krypton with a new, Black actor at the center. Meanwhile, Henry Cavill has kept the door open to a return. Whatever the case, we can hope to one day see The Man in Black and the Man of Steel trade punches one day.

Black Adam opens in cinemas on July 29, 2022. For much more on the film, check out the brand new issue of Total Film magazine when it hits stands (real and digital) from Thursday, December 9.

Total Film's Black Adam cover — (Image credit: Warner Bros/Total Film)

If you’re a fan, why not subscribe so that you never miss an issue? You’ll save money on the cover price, have the issue delivered to your door before it’s on newsstands, *and* you’ll get subscriber-exclusive covers like the Black Adam one below. What are you waiting for?

Total Film's Black Adam subscriber cover — (Image credit: Warner Bros/Total Film)

Jane Crowther is a freelance writer and the Editor-in-Chief at Hollywood Authentic magazine, having formerly been the longtime Editor of Total Film magazine. Jane is also the Chair of The Critics' Circle and a BAFTA member. You'll find Jane on GamesRadar+ exploring the biggest movies in the world and living up to her reputation as one of the most authoritative voices on film in the industry.