Does ‘The Rock’ Have the Power To Help Warner Bros. Market the DCU?!
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Black Adam star, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, has already demonstrated he’s willing to go to the matt to market the upcoming Warner Bros. movie set in the DC Cinematic Universe. Can he be a game changer in the studio’s rivalry with Marvel Studios?
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Multimillion-dollar marketing and publicity campaigns can be highly effective because they have the resources to craft different strategies for different regions while also driving home key messaging (i.e. the hook of the movie and the release date) over and over again to fans. The comics industry has to be a lot scrappier and more flexible in its marketing because it simply doesn’t have the same resources behind it, yet those comic books — and the people who make them — serve as the inspiration for all of these giant films. Without those comics and the creators, none of these movies would exist. Because of this, you’d imagine movie marketing and publicity should show a lot of appreciation and promotion for the comics. Unfortunately, that’s rarely the case (credit to Matt Reeves and The Batman campaign for making a genuine effort). That needs to be corrected, and Dwayne Johnson has the power and the opportunity to help change how comics are discussed with his upcoming promotions for Black Adam.
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Johnson is one of the most influential people on the planet, so when he stepped into the role of Black Adam, DC knew there would be a whole new level of interest in the character. To capitalize on this boost in popularity, DC has multiple ways for fans to get comics featuring Black Adam. There’s the Black Adam – The Justice Society Files single issues and the new Black Adam series by Christopher Priest, Rafa Sandoval, Matt Herms, Willie Schubert, and Troy Peteri. In an effort to inspire picking up other comics from the DC Universe, there’s also the slate of Black Adam Movie variant covers. DC is also providing comic book retailers with Black Adam movie standees, and just like with The Batman, a Black Adam trailer did include a plug for comics at the end of a trailer. But arguably most important of all, DC is reprinting three collections ahead of the movie’s release: Black Adam: The Dark Age, Black Adam: Rise and Fall of an Empire, and Black Adam/JSA: Black Reign.
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For preexisting fans, DC’s publishing strategy gives an opportunity to delve deeper into the mythos of Black Adam. But what about getting new readers? What about inspiring someone to pick up a comic for the very first time? It’s unrealistic to expect a majority of movie fans to read comics — that’s just the reality we live in. But what if Dwayne Johnson, with his enormous following and passionate fan base, held one of these new comics and told fans they should buy it online or at their local comic shop? When actors go on exhausting press tours, they often have messaging prepared for the dozens of interviews they’ll record. They ideally know how they want to promote the movie and what they want to tease. Why not give each person on that press tour one of these new Black Adam collections? Why not ensure that everyone involved in the press tour — cast and crew — promotes the comics and creators? If this push inspires even just 1% of Johnson’s fans to read their first comic, that would be tremendous for the industry and inspire new people to visit a comic shop near them.
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Most comic book movie adaptations are simply inspired by the source material. Based on the trailers, this appears to be the case with Black Adam, but having a different narrative shouldn’t prevent them from recommending the comics. What ultimately matters is whether the movie stays true to the spirit of the character, and that’s something Dwayne Johnson’s been promoting about what sets Black Adam apart from the DC heroes that have appeared on the big screen so far. So why not get his fans even more excited by having them pick up a comic to see firsthand what kind of character Black Adam truly is before going to the theaters?
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The cast and crew plugging the comics on social media and in interviews are just one of the many ways they can show the source material some appreciation, and it’s worth noting that Johnson did recently help spread the news about Black Adam #1 receiving a second printing. As for other ways the studio can show the comics industry some support, what about getting various acclaimed artists from the industry to create posters ahead of the movie’s release? What about WB working with big chain theaters to sell one of these new collections at the concession stand? What about Dwayne Johnson doing a signing at a comic shop ahead of the premiere? There is so much that the studio can do to get additional eyes on the comics industry while keeping the focus firmly on the movie. Why should WB do this, though? What’s in it for them? Aside from simply giving credit where it’s due, this would help the studio and movie’s optics among the extremely passionate and vocal world of comic book fans, pros, and retailers. Motivating people to visit a comic shop and show the comics some appreciation would go a long way, and that would be reflected in how the movie is discussed among fans.
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