Dwayne Johnson Told McFarlane Toys to Beef Up His BLACK ADAM Figure and Make it More Ripped

When it comes to action figures, it turns out Dwayne Johnson wants to make sure that his are a lot more muscular.

In a recent interview with Popverse, Todd McFarlane, the legendary comic creator and toy mogul behind McFarlane Toys, shared a behind-the-scenes story that perfectly illustrates just how much detail and diplomacy goes into designing licensed collectibles.

While discussing the process of developing figures for 2022’s Black Adam, McFarlane revealed that Dwayne Johnson had a very specific note about his character’s action figure.

“Recently, we had to get approval on 'Black Adam,' and Dwayne Johnson's only comment was — which I think he was right — was, 'Can you make me more ripped?'

It actually seems like a silly one, but it actually was right, because I think we all, in our mind, have a romantic version of many people, and the costume itself wasn't showing off his muscles.

“We were super accurate to the costume, it's just that the costume wasn't showing it off, so he just wanted us to show it off a bit more. We took a little bit of artistic license to do it. I think it was the right move.”

It might sound like a case of classic Rock-brand bravado, but I guess it makes sense. McFarlane emphasized that even though the figure was designed with screen-accurate fidelity, the film costume just didn’t do enough to show off Johnson’s truly absurd physique.

And when it comes to approvals, McFarlane has one rule:

“Let me tell you that even if I disagree, the client is always right. I'm looking for an approval. Hey, if you want me to give you two heads, I'll give you two heads. Whatever you need for me to get a sign off.”

The goal isn’t to stick stubbornly to the first version, it’s to make something that feels right to the people involved, especially when that person is literally the face and torso of the character. Johnson’s note wasn’t vanity, it was about making sure the action figure looked like Black Adam.

The collectible world is full of examples where the final product doesn’t quite capture the physicality of the actor, like the Hot Toys version of Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man from No Way Home, which fans noted looked a bit too lanky for the famously stocky Spidey.

So props to The Rock for catching it early, and to McFarlane for adapting following through with it.