Disney was always going to mount a live-action remake of Moana eventually given that the animated original is one of the company’s most widely-beloved features of the modern age, but would it have been announced less than seven years after its initial release had Black Adam not bombed at the box office and seen Dwayne Johnson booted from the DCU?
It’s a fascinating thought, and given that the actor and producer was touting sequels, spinoffs, and crossovers before his long-gestating comic book adaptation hit theaters in October of last year, you’ve got to think that the answer would be no. After all, Johnson is also executive producing Moana V2.0 through his Seven Bucks banner as well as reprising the role of Maui, something he arguably wouldn’t have had time for it Black Adam 2, Justice Society, and that Superman showdown were all in the works at DC.
As one of the most brand-conscious celebrities in the industry, The Rock is only going to sign on for projects that feed his enormous ego, which is why he didn’t want anything to do with either Shazam! or Fury of the Gods. Being exiled from the DCU after less than two hours of screentime would have caused some serious bruising, leaving him in search of a guaranteed box office success.
Festive action comedy Red One is heading straight to streaming, and he’s ruled himself out of a Fast & Furious comeback, which left Moana as the most viable option on the table. Gunn saw no room at the table for either Black Adam or its leading man, forcing the 50 year-old to seek out the next guaranteed success to continue enhancing his franchise-only priorities.
That road leads right back to Moana all over again, which may not have happened had the Man in Black not wound up in the red.