We Want Cody | Is Dwayne Johnson’s return to the WWE a similar situation to his “Black Adam” studio drama?

It would seem that the furore regarding Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s return to the WWE and potential Wrestlemania 40 headline bout against his cousin, Roman Reigns, has a long way to go before dying down. Cody Rhodes, during his appearance at last night’s WWE Raw episode in St. Louis, received a hero’s reception while any mention or image of Johnson was met with boos - so much that, according to some on social media, the company “muted” some of the loudest boos during their televised show, but those live have captured footage on social media showing just how much of a cause celebre it’s become.

To compound matters, the daughter of Dwayne Johnson, Simone Garcia Johnson (also known as Ava to WWE NXT viewers), recently posted on X/Twitter that she had been receiving death threats due to the perceived “slight” her father has caused not only to Cody Rhodes but to the idea of long-term booking and storytelling. Just as an aside - don’t do that fans…

Wrestling journalists have been delving more and more into the controversy, quickly hastening to add that this should not deflect from the criminality being investigated by former WWE owner Vince McMahon. But within their reports, tales of backhanded negotiations without the warning of how it could affect Triple H’s booking decisions, the payday Dwayne Johnson is set to receive for the bout and how short of notice Cody Rhodes was informed about the change in direction for Wrestlemania - allegedly, shortly after his Royal Rumble 2024 win.

The furore has created quite an interesting intersection between wrestling fans, comic book fans and cinemagoers, owing to some of the parallels behind Johnson’s “conduct” during his time in the DC Extended Universe with his feature film “Black Adam,” which prompted some in Hollywood to question some of “The Great One’s” motivations - or as Slash Film called it, Johnson “pulling a Black Adam with the WWE.”

So what happened between DC, Warner Bros. Discovery and Dwayne Johnson regarding his “power play” during the production of “Black Adam,” and are the parallels between that and his WWE return fair to make?

What happened with Dwayne Johnson and “Black Adam”?

The controversy surrounding Dwayne Johnson and “Black Adam” primarily revolves around his direct involvement in pitching a multiyear plan for the Black Adam franchise and a potential collaboration with Henry Cavill's Superman. This move occurred amid a period of turmoil within the DC Extended Universe (DCEU), marked by executive shake-ups, troubled productions, and shifting creative visions. Variety has provided a background regarding what happened with that ill-fated franchise.

In 2022, the DCEU faced significant challenges, including the tumultuous release plan for "The Flash," which was affected by issues involving its star Ezra Miller. Additionally, details about the "Aquaman" deal points were revealed during the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial, and the "Batgirl" movie faced difficulties, resulting in its shelving during post-production.

Amidst this backdrop, executive changes occurred, with James Gunn and Peter Safran assuming leadership roles within the DC universe. However, perhaps the most dramatic development was Henry Cavill's brief return as Superman in a cameo for "Black Adam" in October, only for him to lose the role two months later.

Behind the scenes, Dwayne Johnson, along with producers Hiram Garcia and Beau Flynn, proposed an ambitious plan to the newly appointed Warner Bros. CEO, David Zaslav. This plan involved interweaving the Black Adam and Superman properties, setting up a potential showdown between the two iconic characters. However, Johnson's direct approach to Zaslav bypassed the established channels within Warner Bros., causing internal friction.

Despite the internal tensions, a compromise was reached, and Cavill was approved for a cameo appearance in "Black Adam." However, the film's performance at the box office fell short of expectations, leading to the end of any further outings for Black Adam and effectively closing the chapter on Cavill's tenure as Superman.

Additionally, Johnson's relationship with Warner Bros. was strained further by his insistence on certain demands, such as a producing credit on "DC League of Super-Pets" and a tequila bar at the premiere of "Black Adam” stocking his brand of alcohol, which received a lukewarm reception.

What are the similarities between his WWE return and his “Black Adam” situation?

That would involve Johnson’s lack of going through the “correct channels” regarding his return. According to several reports including from PWInsider, the common theory regarding Johnson’s return was that he signed a deal to return to the company on January 3 2024 - two days after his cameo appearance at “WWE Day 1” where he asked the audience where he should sit while having dinner - at one stage asking if he should be at the head of the table, a nod to Roman Reign’s current gimmick (character.)

Part of that deal, allegedly, saw Johnson gain the rights to “The Rock” trademark, join the TKO Board of Directors and - the most damning allegation - a $30 million payday to headline this year’s Wrestlemania. Said deal was said to be struck between Endeavour boss Ari Emmanuel and WWE’s Nick Kahn - no one else was involved in the deal, including WWE creative.

It has been stated that Cody Rhodes and WWE Creative only knew about the deal at the 11th hour, shortly before Cody Rhodes’ second Royal Rumble victory, setting up the storylines to face Roman Reigns at Wrestlemania and “finish the story.” That led to the sudden pivot in storytelling when Rhodes withdrew from his entitled Wrestlemania spot to The Rock, but certainly not his title shot.

So the parallels between both situations involve Dwayne Johnson going over the heads of the WWE’s creative team to try and strike a deal with the company that owns the WWE currently, to cement a position to headline this year’s Wrestlemania event - at the apparent expense of Cody Rhodes long-term booking.

Then again - we could all still be getting “worked” (taken for a ride).