Dwayne Johnson's 2022 superhero film Black Adam, a costly gamble that did not achieve box office success, has emerged as a sleeper hit on Netflix. Data from FlixPatrol indicates the film quickly entered Netflix's top ten most-watched movies shortly after its August 1 streaming release. This resurgence on the streaming platform offers a new perspective on the film's performance following its theatrical run.
Black Adam grossed an estimated $391 million worldwide against a production budget of $260 million, a figure that fell short of blockbuster expectations and contributed to the broader DC Universe's subsequent reboot. Despite its initial box office disappointment, the film's popularity on Netflix suggests a continued audience appetite for superhero content.
The performance of Black Adam on streaming occurs amidst ongoing discussions about "superhero fatigue." While films like Black Adam and others have faced challenges in theaters, the concurrent success of Sony's Spider-Man: No Way Home, which surpassed $1 billion at the box office, indicates that the genre still commands significant viewership. This suggests that while studios may be more cautious with massive budgets for less established characters, a dedicated audience still exists for superhero narratives.
The future of Johnson's Black Adam character within the DC Universe remains uncertain. Johnson expressed in a 2022 social media post his intent for the character to be utilized in future DC multiverse chapters, but there have been no subsequent announcements regarding Black Adam's involvement in any DC Studios productions.