When you think about anime, one of the first names that comes to mind is Naruto. The series is easily one of the most iconic anime and manga franchises and is a major fan favorite all around the globe, with many fans growing alongside Naruto and the rest of the series characters.
Naruto is a massive franchise, and due to its enormous fanbase, fan expectations are always high, with viewers not accepting anything mediocre. As you might know, Naruto’s live-action is in the works, and there has been no information about the cast. However, many fans believe Dwayne Johnson, or The Rock, would be the perfect choice for Raikage in Naruto live-action.
Dwayne Johnson could be the perfect actor to depict Raikage in Naruto live-action
Ever since One Piece live-action aired, broke records, and became the most successful live-action adaptation, there has been enormous pressure on the Naruto live-action movie because it is a direct rival of One Piece.
When you work on a series as big as Naruto, every step is crucial and might hamper the movie’s success if not done correctly. Casting is one of the factors that can make or break a movie. Each actor should be able to depict the characters perfectly to satisfy the fans.
There have been many speculations regarding the cast of the series, and many actors have been considered for various roles, but none of them have been revealed to the audience yet. While we await any information from Lionsgate or the author about the live-action, fans have already started picking actors for each role.
Raikage is one of the most crucial characters in the series, and fans have vouched for Dwayne Johnson to pick up the role in the forthcoming Naruto project. The Rock and Raikage both have a similar body size, and we already know Dwayne’s ability to act.
There is already much fan art available on social media illustrating Dwayne Johnson as the fourth Raikage, and it is not wrong to say that he might be one of the only few actors who can do justice to the character and depict him perfectly.
This might provide a new experience for The Rock and allow him to gain many new fans who have yet to be introduced to him. With the ample amount of experience he has under his belt, he can even add flair to the character.
Would Naruto live-action be more successful than One Piece live-action?
Naruto and One Piece are eternal rivals, and despite the Naruto story reaching its climax many years ago, the debate between these two fandoms will not be cooling down anytime soon.
One Piece live-action aired in 2023, achieved tremendous success, and accumulated considerable watch time on Netflix. The bar for the Naruto live-action movie is already quite high, and if the creator’s plan is to defeat One Piece, it will be very challenging.
It might be a surprise, but Naruto’s live-action was announced almost a decade ago, and we recently started getting more updates about it. To surpass the quality of One Piece live-action season 1, Lionsgate must spare no effort and avoid cutting corners.
The way Lionsgate executes the Chunin exam arc could lay the foundation for the groundbreaking success of the Naruto movie and satisfy the fans.
The casting and CGI implementation would be crucial to the Naruto live-action adaptation. It might make it a far more successful movie than One Piece if done correctly.
Watch the journey of Uzumaki Naruto from a brat to Hokage on Crunchyroll.
