Black Adam may have arrived on HBO Max with a bang, claiming the top spot on the streamer’s chart and obliterating the competition, the bigger picture shows that the film’s debut pales in comparison to that of The Batman earlier this year. Dwayne Johnson recently released a statement about his Black Adam future that suggested that he may return but not seemingly in the capacity he originally envisioned. The reason for that could have been made even more obvious as Black Adam has continued to underwhelm in the main.
Black Adam has smashed its way to the top of the HBO Max streaming chart. While that seems like it could be a sign that the movie is finally redeeming its less than expected box office performance, according to data released by Samba TV the film’s viewer numbers fall behind not only Warner Bros. Discovery’s own The Batman, but also those of Marvel’s releases of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and even the much criticized Thor: Love and Thunder. Samba TV’s SVP Dallas Lawrence commented:
“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.”
Does Black Adam’s Viewer Details Actually Show The Real Success of The Movie?
Warner Bros.
While the overall picture for Black Adam is not be a glowing one, the details released about Black Adam’s demographics is certainly one that will please Dwayne Johnson and those who have been calling for more diversity in the casting of superhero movies. The increased volumes of Black households tuning into the movie is something that will be an interesting note to Warner Bros. Discovery and the new team of James Gunn and Peter Safran.
However, while the movie seems to have appealed to one demographic in a big way, the rest of the figures continue to suggest that while diverse and previously unexplored characters have an important place in the market of superhero movies, it is hard to beat well-established characters who happen to be mostly portrayed by white actors.
Finding the perfect balance between diverse casting, and staying true to the source material of prominent comic book franchises in particular is one that will continue to bring challenges to filmmakers in the foreseeable future. While it is still believed that J.J. Abrams and Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Black Superman project is continuing to move forward, if that movie does come to fruition, it will be a big indicator of exactly how profitable and popular this kind of bold, diverse casting actually is with audiences compared to the likes of Henry Cavill’s Man of Steel.
