It looks like Black Adam truly is Shazam!‘s biggest threat, as The Wrap reports that Dwayne Johnson rejected a post-credits scene for his DC spin-off that featured Zachary Levi‘s superhero. In the comics, Black Adam is the hero’s most notable adversary, and there is conflict between them regarding the right to use the power of the Wizard. Adam is depicted to have been born in Ancient Egypt, when he is first given the opportunity to carry such an immense responsibility. After an evil corrupts him and seduces him romantically, Adam becomes drunk with power and is no longer considered the right person to wear the lightning on his chest.

However, Johnson‘s version of the iconic anti-hero turned out to be quite different, as depicted in last year’s cinematic version of the origin story. In that iteration, Adam’s son (Jalon Christian) is given his powers after the tyrannical king Ahk-Ton of Kahndaq abuses the power he has over the population. Kahndaq needs a Champion who can save them from a ruler who wants to exploit them. But, since the boy gave Adam his powers as he died, Johnson’s character is gifted with what the Wizard (Djimon Hounsou) has to offer. In a fit of rage due to the loss of his son, Adam kills most of the Wizards, and is imprisoned in a tomb.

Thousands of years later, an expedition led by archeologists finds the spot where the anti-hero is locked in and, in an attempt to retrieve the valuable crown that was buried with him, frees Adam from his punishment. Released in a world that is unknown to him, Adam is still trying to save Kahndaq, but the modern DC Extended Universe won’t simply let an enhanced individual run around, blasting anything he sees fit. The Justice Society of America, led by Dr. Fate (Pierce Brosnan) will do everything in their power to stop the new villain before it’s too late.

The Confrontation That Never Happened

Since Black Adam is Shazam’s nemesis in the comic books that first introduced the world to the characters, it was only logical to expect their cinematic counterparts to clash on the big screen. But everything changed when James Gunn and Peter Safran became the new heads of DC Films. The producers introduced their own plan for the future of the DC Universe and, apparently, it doesn’t include Johnson‘s anti-hero. That, coupled with the fact that Shazam!: Fury of the Gods isn’t performing at an optimal level at the box office, could very well mean that a hero and his villain were introduced in separate movies, only to never cross paths.

You can stream Black Adam on HBO Max before you check out Shazam!: Fury of the Gods in theatres.

via Collider