Dwayne Johnson’s jump from WWE to acting was followed by a host of professional wrestlers. Now, along with Johnson, John Cena, and Dave Bautista have also become household names, mostly because of their groundbreaking work in superhero films like The Suicide Squad and Guardians of the Galaxy.
However, while fans criticized Johnson for the sameness of his characters across multiple film franchises, John Cena and Dave Bautista have surpassed the actor when it comes to acting, or so fans think. Cena has been lauded for his ability to do comedy, while Bautista has been praised for his ability to do drama and hold characters like Drax the Destroyer with ease.
Fans speculate about Dwayne Johnson’s A24 film
Dwayne Johnson’s A24 film, The Smashing Machine, has gotten fans speculating about the Rock’s need to make a dramatic character.
It is often touted by audiences that Dwayne Johnson films are often indistinguishable from each other, be it the Fast and the Furious franchise or stand-alone ventures like Jungle Cruise or Black Adam, which have the actor playing similar roles. However, fans have more than a few things to say about the actor trying to diversify with a studio like A24.
Bro has it in his contract he can’t lose fights and doesn’t want to have any real depth to his character just wants to make block busters and play different variations of the exact same character. He really did this to himself. I’m sure he has more range but he made it like this.
— The Pettiest Laker Fan 🤫 (@ThePettiestLA) March 12, 2024
Dave’s a better Actor and Cena is better at comedy, I’d say both are fucking with him
— Thrawnald McDonald (@13ReasonsHigh) March 12, 2024
Probably.
Could be that everyone realized that DJ has almost no enduring film legacy, and takes zero risks in life, even though his entire marketing shtick is "taking risks".
If you watch his JRE episode, you realize that this dude will say anything to be liked.
But hey, if…
— 💯Mark Collins💯 (@mark_collins09) March 12, 2024
Cena and batista are already ahead of him and they just started 😂
— Ghostmalone90 (@Pankow90) March 12, 2024
I think Dwayne realizes his acting limits. Not sure it really bothers him all that much.
— Moosey (@0nlyMeez) March 12, 2024
Most fans believe that Dwayne Johnson might be feeling a little left behind given that relative newcomers like John Cena and Dave Bautista have been able to surpass the actor when it comes to doing better films, given that Bautista has become an integral part of the MCU and John Cena has carved out a niche in the DCEU and the DCU, something Johnson failed to achieve with his entry into the franchise as Black Adam.
Dwayne Johnson still has a few films lined up before The Smashing Machine
Dwayne Johnson is set to not only star in the upcoming sequel to Moana, but the actor will also star in the live-action adaptation of the film before he moves forward with this venture with A24. The films would be Johnson’s second and third outings, respectively, as Maui, Demigod of the Wind and Sea. The actor will once again play a role that is similar to his previous acts, this time playing a demigod (not that he hasn’t in the past).
Every WWE star who has made the jump to films has had a different niche to fill. While John Cena has found his niche in comedy, Dave Bautista has also been able to shine as a dramatic actor. Johnsons, similarly, has found himself to be an action star, and that has served him well and could continue to serve him well should he stick true to that path after his A24 outing.
