Shaquille O’Neal may have built a $500 million empire, but even he was caught off guard when his “Inside the NBA” co-hosts jokingly named him a co-CEO of DC Studios during a live segment.
The moment came May 14 during the hit TNT show, when Ernie Johnson teased O’Neal about his surprise “promotion” at Warner Bros. Discovery, referencing Shaq’s recent appearance at the company’s upfront presentation — the same event that featured James Gunn promoting his upcoming “Superman” reboot.
Another Job
“You have become a third co-CEO for DC Studios alongside James Gunn, who directed ‘Superman,’ and Peter Safran. Tell me about it?” Johnson asked O’Neal. This prompted laughter from the panel.
Shaq seemed bewildered but played along. “I did? Wait, what’s that mean?” he asked, grinning as the crew broke out into laughter.
DC Studios, the studio behind superheroes like Batman and Superman, wasn’t actually adding Shaq to the executive lineup — but the joke struck a humorous chord given his past as the titular star of the 1997 superhero film “Steel.”
While O’Neal may not be in the next “Justice League” movie, the moment proved once again that when it comes to live TV, Shaq remains a larger-than-life presence — on and off the court.
Co-hosts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith shared a laugh over Shaq trolling the meme that had been started by the Home of DCU fan site.
Shaq is one of three men who have the prestigious role of helping to present DC Comics characters on the big screen, including the latest “Superman” movie.
DC Studios is the newly formed film and TV division under Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), where, much like Marvel Studios with its Marvel Cinematic Universe, it is supposed to create a unified series of connected films.
Joining Shaq are James Gunn, director of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, and producer Peter Safran, whose involvement with WBD films includes hits like “Aquaman,” “Shazam!”, “Annabelle,” “The Conjuring,” and all of their sequel films.
The new Superman movie is set to release July 11, with Shaq already at work promoting it.
It might seem like Shaq is out of place among the filmmakers, but in truth Shaq has adopted the nickname Superman for his love of the character and even starred in a few DC projects, including the lead in the 1997 movie “Steel” and voice acting in the hit cartoon “Static Shock.”
Shaq has a net worth between $400 and $500 million, and he is an investor, owner of fast-food chains to retail ventures, and holds a president position at Reebok, with Allen Iverson as vice president.
