Log.w() throws `java.lang.RuntimeException: Stub!` despite `@PrepareForTest(Log.class)`

I am trying to write a JUnit (5) for a class that indirectly uses Log.w().

When I first encountered java.lang.RuntimeException: Stub! as a result, I quickly found out that this is a well known issue in Android development and that I can either use mocking:

@RunWith(PowerMockRunner.class)
@PrepareForTest(Log.class)
class mySusuManager {
...
}

with the following dependencies {} in my app's build.gradle:

testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:5.9.1"
testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-params:5.9.1"
testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:5.9.1"
testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.vintage:junit-vintage-engine:5.9.1"

testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.13.2'                         
testImplementation "org.mockito:mockito-core:4.5.1"             
testImplementation "org.powermock:powermock-core:2.0.9"
testImplementation "org.powermock:powermock-module-junit4:2.0.9"
testImplementation "org.powermock:powermock-api-mockito2:2.0.9"

or use a gradle flag:

android {
    testOptions {
        unitTests.returnDefaultValues = true
    }
}

I tried both (not simultaneously), but I am still getting the dreaded:

"C:\Program Files\Android\Android Studio\jre\bin\java.exe" ...

java.lang.RuntimeException: Stub!

	at android.util.Log.w(Log.java:37)
	...

What could I be missing?

For the benefit of all, I am posting here how I solved my issue, indirectly.

Most existing SO references to this java.lang.RuntimeException: Stub! issue seem to referring to versions of the tools and libraries that are older than what is available today.

So, thanks to the article How to mock static methods with Mockito, I discovered that with the introduction of Mockito 3.x, I do not need PowerMock to mock the android.util.Log class.

Here is how I accomplished this:

Step 1: I removed the

@RunWith(PowerMockRunner.class)
@PrepareForTest(Log.class)

above my mySusuManagerTest class definition.

Step 2: I replaced all powermock imports with a single:

import org.mockito.Mockito;

Step 3: In build.gradle I replaced all testImplementation "org.powermock occurrences and the testImplementation "org.powermock:powermock-core one, with a single mockito-inline class reference.

implementation "org.mockito:mockito-inline:4.11.0"

Step 4: Inside the test method, I only placed a single mockStatic line:

@Test
void thisIsTheMethodImTesting() {
    Mockito.mockStatic(Log.class);
    // test + assert code here    
}