There is little doubt that following a tremendous box office triumph, the next logical move would be to put the film on streaming services or VOD. Black Adam will be released on December 16 for streaming on HBO’s streaming service. Sadly, the reception to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Black Adam was dismal.
An October theatrical release of Black Adam brought in $67 million on its first weekend at the box office in the United States and Canada, but it was ultimately eclipsed by the arrival of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever a month later.
This isn’t looking good at all for the DC franchise, despite Johnson’s continual promotion of his 15-year effort that ‘could’ve’ rescued Warner Bros. and DC completely.
Black Adam statistics from SambaTV showed that 1.2 million households saw the DC movie on HBO Max during its first three days of availability. The Batman and MCU movies like Thor: Love and Thunder, which shouldn’t have been compared because MCU fans have differing opinions about this movie’s quality, both do better than this record.
Given that Dwayne Johnson will no longer be the eponymous hero and that James Gunn is not advocating for a Black Adam sequel, this outcome further highlights the issue with the DCU’s long-term viability in the market. While Gunn is able to allay fan anxieties about the franchise’s future, it is difficult to see how his vision will translate to the studio’s profitability in the near future.
Black Adam is still accessible through VOD services in the interim.
