Warner Bros. Discovery merger looms over “Black Adam”
Warner #Warner
There were few “Black Adam”-themed costumes on display at this weekend’s New York Comic Con, an always colorful parade of nerd heaven.
Why it matters: The aftermath of the Warner Bros. Discovery merger — and a series of blunders involving DC Comics intellectual property — alienated hardcore comic fans, a pivotal constituency the studio needs to generate enthusiasm for its remaining movie and TV endeavors.
Driving the news: Warner’s conundrum is being complicated two weeks ahead of the release of “Black Adam,” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The title character is related to “Shazam,” which debuted in 2019 to a strong box office and critical acclaim.
The intrigue: The release of “Black Adam” will be a major test of Warner’s ability to convince skeptical fans to give their projects the benefit of the doubt, after more than a year of missteps, recriminations and a delayed slate of DC tentpoles.
At NYCC, fans informally polled by Axios about the impending release of “Black Adam” expressed muted excitement, but tempered with doubts about the future and the movie’s commercial success.
What they’re saying: Brooklyn-based fan Michael Rueda was one of the few with “high expectations” for “Black Adam,” especially given the talent (i.e. The Rock) involved. He wasn’t concerned that the title character isn’t explicitly linked to any other DC character.
Dressed as Black Adam with his wife, son and friend all bedecked in full “Shazam Family” regalia, James Boney quipped that Warner’s superhero aspirations “can only go up,” even as he confessed to Axios that he had “no sense [Warner-Discovery executives] have a strategy.”
The bottom line: Only time will tell if Warner-Discovery can recapture some of the magic that pushed “Joker” and “Aquaman” over $1 billion at the box office, and helped 2017 “Wonder Woman” and 2022’s “The Batman” to outperform early expectations.