Throughout his acting career, Dwayne Johnson’s fame and persona often eclipse the characters he plays. Characters in films like “San Andreas” or “Redeemer” are more akin to exaggerated versions of his real-life media persona than distinct, standalone fictional entities. However, there are some exceptions, such as Maui from the Moana movies and Luke Hobbs, who started off as a villain in Fast & Furious but evolved into a franchise staple. The character of Black Adam shares some similarities with these roles, at least on paper.
As a film enthusiast, I’ve always been captivated by the characters that could have been but never made it to the big screen. One such character is the one I would have brought to life in Shane Black’s unrealized directorial project, “Doc Savage.” This character dates back to the early 1930s and stepping into his shoes would have meant joining a legacy that transcends my own, immersing myself in a rich pop culture history. Unfortunately, despite getting so close to becoming a reality, the modern adaptation of “Doc Savage” never came to fruition.
The Early Days of Shane Black’s Doc Savage
The Man of Bronze,” which had Ron Ely playing the lead role. This film, unfortunately, was a box office flop.
In 2010, Black was appointed to direct a significant Doc Savage film, but it wasn’t until six years later, in May 2016, that Johnson confirmed his involvement in this project. Johnson announced he would be the lead in Doc Savage, referring to him as “#WorldsFirstSuperhero”. This tag hinted that Doc Savage could potentially fill the role of a Black Adam film, which was yet to materialize within the DC Extended Universe. After signing up for the character in 2014, there had been no progress regarding Johnson’s Black Adam in the DC universe.
If DC hadn’t approached Johnson with an offer, he would have starred in another genre of superhero movie, centered around a character who predates Superman in historical records. Specifically, Doyle Savage held an attraction for Johnson, likely due to his affection for classic jungle adventure films. With titles like “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,” the two Jumanji movies, and Jungle Cruise, it’s clear that this particular brand of escapist cinema holds a special significance for Johnson. Starring as Doyle Savage could have given him an opportunity to delve deeper into this genre.
2017 posts on Instagram by Johnson suggested that production for the movie “Doc Savage” might begin. However, before that could happen, Black had to direct “The Predator”, which started filming in February 2017. During that year, Johnson was busy with various projects like “Rampage” and “Skyscraper”. By the close of 2017, cameras hadn’t yet started rolling on “Doc Savage”, but according to Variety’s December report, it was one of several big-budget films featuring Johnson that were in development.
How Did Doc Savage Perish?
In April 2018, Johnson learned that his Doc Savage movie faced an insurmountable challenge – legal complications. Problems concerning the rights of the character made it impossible for the project to move forward. Given the relatively unknown status of Doc Savage, Sony/Columbia Pictures and Original Film (the companies funding this project) didn’t seem eager to invest in rescuing Doc Savage. With other potential projects (including those featuring Johnson himself) available, these entities opted for financing those instead, rather than dealing with a multitude of lawyers.
After that, the only updates regarding any live-action Doc Savage project have been about Sony and Original Film’s attempt to create a Doc Savage TV series in early 2020. However, nothing else materialized from this effort. As for Johnson and Black, they haven’t made any significant progress in collaborating due to Johnson being occupied with Black Adam and Red One in the early 2020s. The volatile performance of superhero movies at the box office (including Sony’s own titles such as Kraven the Hunter) probably made it even harder to bring Doc Savage to life.
Fans eager for action-packed, expensive movies featuring Dwayne Johnson won’t have to search too hard given the films he has starred in over the past decade. Although the collaboration between Dwayne Johnson and Shane Black on the “Doc Savage” movie didn’t come to fruition, it’s clear that its impact can be seen in other movies Johnson has been a part of. However, it’s likely that there are dedicated fans of Doc Savage who are disappointed that this big-screen adaptation of the #World’sFirstSuperhero hasn’t hit theaters yet.
Black Adam is now streaming on Max.
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2025-01-21 06:09