Dwayne Johnson's Black Adam was dead-set on changing the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe from its inception. In a recent interview, cinematographer Lawrence Sher revealed that the film was ready to move ahead with a faceless Superman cameo for its post-credits scene if Henry Cavill couldn't make it back for the role.
Though Black Adam is not doing well critically, it is making more than its fair share of profit, and Johnson's Black Adam is exactly what the DCEU needs. Johnson has been adamant that Black Adam be a linchpin in the DCEU going forward, as the shared universe has been undergoing plenty of behind-the-scenes issues lately, and Johnson's plan for the character is intended to be a stabilizing force for the DCEU to coalesce around.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, cinematographer Lawrence Sher stated that the idea to include a Superman post-credits scene was a last-minute addition to Black Adam. “Let’s just quickly take this throne room set that we were working in…We’re going to create something for Dwayne to walk into…And we’re going to shoot it in like 10 minutes," Sher said. “Watching an actor come out of a full silhouette into that, was actually goosebumps. ‘Wow, this is 100 percent going to work. Now they need to figure out if they can get the guy with the head to be there.'"
The Black Adam production was certain that Cavill's inclusion was one they needed when the faceless version of the cameo did well in test screenings. “I went to a test screening … in which they did the version without his head…and it played gangbusters," Sher recalled, "Then it was like, ‘Now we got to get Henry.’” Though former DC Films Chief Walter Hamada was against the idea, Johnson went around Hamada's back to Warner Bros. bosses Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy, who approved of the cameo.
The Black Adam post-credits scene, which leaked before the film's release, ended up pleasing audiences. Fans reacted positively to Cavill's return, which has been up in the air for some time. It is the first time audiences have seen Cavill return to the role since Zack Snyder's Justice League. Since then, reports on Cavill's continued involvement in the DCEU have been full of rumors that he would not be returning.
The Black Adam cameo seems to have gotten the ball rolling on firmly establishing Cavill as Superman for years to come, however. Man of Steel 2 is in the works, and Johnson has talked of plotting a Superman vs Black Adam film.
Black Adam is currently in theaters.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
