Dwayne Johnson has been focusing more on his wrestling career with the WWE. Being a part of the board of TKO Group Holdings, the actor and professional wrestler performed his first main event match in years in this year’s WrestleMania 40. His return has been lauded by fans, especially after the event.
While he focuses on WWE again, Johnson’s acting career seems to have taken a backseat. With Johnson’s live-action Moana being postponed by a year, the actor has all the time for new projects in Hollywood, including joining another franchise. The actor was seen shaking hands with Marvel President, Kevin Feige, leading to speculations about a possible appearance in the MCU.
Dwayne Johnson’s Run-In With Kevin Feige Sparks Speculations
Dwayne Johnson was last seen in a cameo as Luke Hobbs in Fast X, before which he headlined the controversial and commercial disaster Black Adam. The actor seems to have taken a break from his acting career and has decided to concentrate on the WWE, making a full return as the Brahma Bull in the ring.
However, the actor was seen earlier this week at CinemaCon to promote his upcoming animated film Moana 2. The actor is reportedly returning as Maui in the sequel to the 2016 film, which was nominated for a Best Animated Film Oscar. However, fans seemed to be more interested in The Rock’s interaction with someone else at the event.
Johnson was seen backstage at CinemaCon giving a handshake to Marvel President, Kevin Feige, sparking speculations that the actor might be joining the franchise soon. Marvel has hired many stars in the previous year, with actors such as Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby confirmed to appear while Ryan Gosling and Henry Cavill are rumored to have joined the MCU (via X).
The hierarchy of power in the Marvel universe is about to change. 🤨
— The Universal Aficionado (@KnuiseQuanactia) April 20, 2024
Let him be Apocalypse.
— Alexander Nevermind (@AlexNever347) April 20, 2024
I see the vision pic.twitter.com/tB8krn4kCM
— Trizzy (@TrizzyDigital) April 20, 2024
For any role ?👀
— Ravi ladumor (@Raviladumor1) April 20, 2024
W rizz? Dwayne needs be Appcalypse all jokes aside
— Trae (taylors version) chiefs nets and x men (@XTYZERIA) April 20, 2024
The final kang
— grandmasta (@mrnotoriousmsg) April 21, 2024
Many fans seemed to be campaigning for The Rock to join the MCU as Apocalypse. While Oscar Isaac had played the role in the Fox Studios produced X-Men: Apocalypse, the film and his portrayal received negative reviews. With the X-Men finally being introduced to the MCU, an actor of Johnson’s stature to play Apocalypse would be perfect.
Will Dwayne Johnson Join The MCU?
Dwayne Johnson is not a stranger to headlining huge franchises. The actor was capable of headlining films such as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jungle Cruise, and making them blockbuster franchises. He has also been an important of the Fast and Furious franchise, with his character Luke Hobbs even receiving a spinoff film, Hobbs & Shaw.
Johnson’s last film as a leading man was the DCEU film, Black Adam. The actor has been associated with DC Studios since 2007, being cast as Black Adam (via Slash Film). However, the film reportedly did not enter development until 2014 and finally became part of the DCEU shared universe. The film was finally released in 2022.
Black Adam opened to mixed reviews and was reportedly a box office bomb despite earning $380 million at the box office. The Hollywood Reporter noted that the film would be lucky to break even after the production cost of the film was close to $230 million. The DCEU itself imploded after the film, with James Gunn and Peter Safran taking over as chiefs and rebooting the franchise.
After these experiences, it might not be a bad idea for Dwayne Johnson to consider joining the MCU. Giant Freakin Robot had reported back in 2022 that the actor had met with Kevin Feige for the role of Apocalypse in the MCU. While it was never confirmed later, the idea still seems to excite fans.
Black Adam is currently streaming on Max.
