There is no question that the next step after hitting a huge success in theaters could only lead to its next thing: hitting their releases on streaming platforms or VOD. HBO had confirmed that Black Adam landed a streaming release date on their streaming site, December 16. Unfortunately, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Black Adam had underwhelming results.
READ MORE: Dwayne Johnson Announces Black Adam Exit
Black Adam had its theatrical release in October and earned $67 million on its box office opening weekend in the United States and Canada, which was eventually overshadowed by Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’s release a month later. Despite Johnson’s constant hype for his 15-year project that ‘could’ve’ saved Warner Bros. and DC altogether, this isn’t looking good for the DC franchise at all.
SambaTV released Black Adam’s data that 1.2 million households watched the DC film on its first three days on HBO Max. However, this record falls short when compared to The Batman and MCU films such as Thor: Love and Thunder (which shouldn’t have been a competition seeing as MCU fans are divided on this film's quality). Check out Samba TV SVP Dallas Lawrence’s full quote on the data below:
“While Black Adam’s streaming debut on HBO Max fell short compared to superhero films like Batman, Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and Thor: Love and Thunder, it was a hit with younger and diverse audiences. Black households were more likely to watch the adventure film than the national average by nearly 25 percent, and Gen Z and Millennial audiences also over-indexed on viewership. Appealing to these younger, more diverse audiences is critical as HBO Max continues to find new growth opportunities and widen its subscriber base.”
Considering that James Gunn is not pushing for a Black Adam sequel nor is he keeping Dwayne Johnson as the titular hero, this result just pushes the problem behind the future of DCU lasting in the industry. While Gunn manages to address fan concerns on his plans for the franchise, it is difficult to see how his vision will be playing out the studio's success anytime soon.
Meanwhile, Black Adam is still available to watch on VOD platforms.
ALSO READ: James Gunn Addresses Fan Outry Over DCU Changes: “They Are Made with Sincere Hearts”
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