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Dwayne Johnson says Warner Bros. didn't want Henry Cavill back as Superman: 'We were not going to take no for an answer'

Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam and Henry Cavill as Superman.
Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam and Henry Cavill as Superman.Warner Bros. Pictures
  • Dwayne Johnson said Warner Bros. wasn't interested in bringing Henry Cavill back as Superman.

  • The British star was last seen as the Man of Steel in "Justice League."

  • Superman shows up in a "Black Adam" end-credits scene, teasing a confrontation between the two.

"Black Adam" has finally arrived in the DC Extended Universe and introduces audiences to Dwayne Johnson's titular antihero, who's a little more violent than other costumed crusaders.

It's fair to say Black Adam intimidates the rest of the world with his unflinching methods, which is why Amanda Waller (Viola Davis) sends Superman (Henry Cavill) to confront him at the end of the film.

The scene is a crowd-pleasing moment, for sure, since it confirms that Cavill is back as the Man of Steel after an extended absence from the role, and plenty of rumors concerning the actor's possible exit from the cape and tights.

Although it's great for fans that Cavill's finally back in the fold, Johnson recently explained on Twitter that the studio "inexplicably and inexcusably" didn't want him back.

The "Black Adam" star opened up about bringing Superman back in a video celebrating the 2022 movie's success on iTunes, explaining that his team worked on bringing Cavill back for quite some time.

He said: "This has been years in the making regarding bringing Henry Cavill back and years of strategic conversations and we were not going to take no for an answer."

Johnson went on to say that there was no way of moving the DCEU forward without involving Cavill's hero in some capacity.

The actor added: "There was no way, there's no viable logical way that you can attempt to build out the DC Universe without the most powerful force and the greatest superhero of all time sitting on the sidelines. It's impossible to do."

Although a number of actors have played the Kryptonian hero in live action over the years, Johnson praised Cavill's performance and acknowledged that fans have been asking where he has been over the last few years.

 

He explained: "It all comes back to: 'Where's Superman?' You have to have Superman in the mix. So that's why we fought hard to bring Superman back, Henry Cavill. And there was no other Superman, by the way, to bring back."

Johnson also praised the British actor, calling him "the greatest Superman of all time," before saying that Warner Bros. can  "now build out the DC Universe, properly, strategically and smartly."

The "Jumanji" and "Red Notice" star also implied that the DCEU is about to change thanks to the recent shake-up at the studio, with James Gunn and Peter Safran being in control of the franchise's future.

He said: "Again, the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe has changed and, of course, now we have new leadership at DC and at Warner Bros."

Read the original article on Insider