“This just makes the MCU and DCEU/DCU look so silly”: Steve Carell’s Apparent Dig at Marvel and Dwayne Johnson’s Black Adam Will Change Your Outlook on Superhero Films
Buckle up, superhero fans! Remember all those times you scoffed at Michael Scott’s antics in The Office? Well, get ready to eat your crow because Steve Carell just threw some serious shade at the entire superhero genre, including the mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s upcoming Black Adam.
But just hold on a sec, this isn’t your typical Hollywood hate-fest. Carell’s comments are about to turn your whole superhero movie outlook upside down. Is he right? Is the genre full of silly spectacle? Dive in and prepare to be surprised!
Minion-mania takes over: ‘Illumination’ announces a wacky Megaverse to challenge the Superhero giants
Mega Minions, get ready! In a video released by the official “Despicable Me 4” X account, Steve Carell announces the creation of a vast “Megaverse.” Giving a brief introduction about his work, Carell presents “Illumination Megaverse,” involving 50 inter-connected mega-minions stories set out to entertain people for the next 100 years.
Steve Carell has revealed their slate for the next 100 years of Mega Minions movies.
“The hierarchy of power in the Illumination universe is about to change” pic.twitter.com/pkwJPt6c4S
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) June 8, 2024
Steve Carell went beyond what one would typically expect in such an announcement, giving very specific details about his plans. He mentioned, extremely precisely,
From their debut in Despicable Me 4, the Mega Minions are charting a course from the big screen to the small screen, from the future of the present to the present of the past, and from stages of Broadway to the ice rinks of Jacksonville, Florida… excited… you should be!”
However, his ambitious speech throws some serious (or playful) shade at both MCU and DCU. Carell’s particular emphasis—from “the future of the present to the present of the past” to “ice rinks of Jacksonville, Florida”—mocks the overly-structured timelines and grounded settings of superhero films. But, like, isn’t it actually kinda silly?
Honestly, this just makes the MCU and DCEU/DCU look so silly when you think about it
— Kyle W. (@kwilly462) June 8, 2024
Furthermore, it appears that the Mega Minions themselves are a humorous parody of the Justice League and the Avengers (or are they?) The Despicable Me cast is obviously prepared to rule with their own unique style of absurd, erratic narrative.
What’s more, the tweet alludes to Dwayne Johnson’s endorsement of Black Adam and his statement that “The hierarchy of power in the Illuminations universe is about to change” (indicating that the MultiVersus video game from WB also trolls The Rock).
— Austin (@AustinPlanet) June 8, 2024
Whether Steve Carell’s Illumination is ready to dominate the animation industry with its content of wacky and unpredictable storytelling is a matter of time. But the playful jab at already established titans of superhero films is worth causing a stir among fans.
From teammate to turmoil: The Rock’s Black Adam throws a punch at DC Studios’ plan
Superman, Shazam, and Black Adam from DC Comics were always supposed to fight, just not in this exact manner. It turns out that when Dwayne Johnson, popularly known as “The Rock,” made his eagerly anticipated debut in the popular comic-book movie genre, he put pressure on DC Studios over creative choices, TheWrap revealed.
Fast forward a few months and Johnson’s ambition to go to the pinnacle of the DC universe was dashed abruptly. DC Studios fired both him and Henry Cavill—the character who played Superman in the previous decade. Further adding to the turmoil, DC’s most recent release flopped spectacularly. The first film in the series made $53.5 million (in week 1), a considerably higher amount than the movie’s expected opening weekend gross of $30.5 million.
Here’s where things get tricky. Black Adam was supposed to co-star in the Shazam origin story film even when DC first started working on it. However, Johnson ultimately desired his film for the villainous superhero. The fact that Shazam and Black Adam faced off frequently in DC comics adds to the unease surrounding it. Thus, it was only reasonable to assume that Black Adam would eventually square off against Superman and Shazam, leaving fans wondering what the future holds for the DC universe.
Watch and stream “Black Adam” on Apple TV, Amazon Channel, and Max.
