There’s no denying that Dwayne Johnson, aka, The Rock, is one of the most electrifying names in all sports entertainment, and pop culture in general. One of the greatest wrestler-turned-actors of all time, the TKO board member and future WWE Hall of Famer has been putting boots to asses and delivering box office smash hits since I was a kid (yes, I had a “Can you smell what The Rock is cooking?” t-shirt).
However, the past few years have been a little stale on the big screen for Johnson, which is crazy considering his most recent run in WWE as the “Final Boss” has not only been one of his most exciting periods but also one of the best wrestling personas of all time. And that got me thinking, what if Dwayne Johnson channeled The Rock in Hollywood and mixed things up a bit? Let me explain…
I Like A Lot Of Dwayne Johnson's Movies, But It Feels Like He's Playing The Same Character Over And Over
Before you jump in and start yelling about me not liking Dwayne Johnson’s movies, let me tell you that I’ve seen pretty much everything he’s done and watched most of those in theaters, going all the way back to his big-screen debut in The Mummy Returns back in 2001. And it’s not just the Fast and Furious movies or Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle; I’m talking Snitch, Faster, and Doom.
But I’m not going to lie and say that it feels like Johnson is playing the same character over and over again in that his on-screen presence is pretty much the equivalent of Hulk Hogan before his shocking 1996 heel turn to form the NWO. As a colleague put it, he’s pretty much just out there giving the movie version of his catchphrases at this point. And I know he can give more dynamic performances because we’ve seen it in movies like Pain & Gain and his various heel runs in WWE.
He Reinvented Himself As The Rock When Things Got Stale In WWE
I’m not saying we need to have a “Die, Rocky, Die” where Dwayne Johnson cuts a mean promo and calls everyone on the red carpet pieces of crap like he’s joining the Nation of Domination, but he has been able to reinvent himself in wrestling whenever things got stale. His first run back in 1996 and 1997 didn’t do much and the fans quickly turned on him, which led to him going heel, and then less than two years later, he was WWF Champion (both as the People’s Champion and the Corporate Champion).
Basically, The Rock often read the room, saw where the tide was turning, and found a way to pivot and get back to the top of the card. While Dwayne Johnson is still one of the biggest box office draws in modern times, I think that pivoting and trying something new in the roles he takes or how he portrays himself on screen could be beneficial for his career and the audience’s enjoyment.
We All Remember How The Rock Becoming The 'Final Boss' Made WrestleMania 40 An Event To Remember
I know it wasn’t all that long ago, but remember how The Rock becoming the “Final Boss” persona made WrestleMania 40 an event to remember and the best “Showcase of the Immortals” in a decade and one of the greatest of all time? Man, Dwayne Johnson was firing on all cylinders when he fully committed to being a heel for the first time in over 20 years. The Rock, with his larger-than-life attitude and presence, showcased what makes WWE so great with an all-time great performance during both nights of the weekend-long event.
Going back to my earlier point – when the fans didn’t want to see The Rock and Roman Reigns face each other instead of allowing Cody Rhodes to finish his story and take on the Tribal Chief, Dwayne Johnson and company saw the writing on the wall and pivoted to give us the craziest WrestleMania main event of all time. I know that pivoting in wrestling and pivoting in movies are two completely different things, but this is the guy who had a year-long feud with John Cena before their “Once in a Lifetime” match at WrestleMania 28. He could do it.
I Would Love For Johnson To Have A 'Final Boss' Moment On The Big Screen And Take On More Complex And Vulnerable Characters
I know that The Rock’s “Final Boss” persona is far from being the definition of vulnerable (though this moment was hilarious to watch), but I would love to see Dwayne Johnson have one of those big sea change moments and take on more complex and vulnerable characters, heroes that don’t always win or come off looking the best in interactions with villains or with his running mates at family barbecues.
What makes Captain America, Spider-Man, Batman, and even Rocky Balboa such endearing and beloved characters? Yeah, they all know how to kick ass and save the day, but they also lose. I’m not trying to sound like a quote machine, but as Thomas Wayne put it in Batman Begins: “Why do we fall, Bruce? So we can learn to pick ourselves up.” It feels like Luke Hobbs, Black Adam, and Johnson's other heroes aren’t vulnerable and have to look like the strongest person in the world, which makes them predictable and tiresome. And I think having one of his on-screen figures suffer a loss and overcome some adversity could go a long way.
And Maybe His Role In A24's The Smashing Machine Will Be That 'Nation Of Domination' Moment On The Big Screen
I’ve been following Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine pretty much ever since the upcoming A24 movie was announced, and I have to admit that I’m stoked to see what Dwayne Johnson does with his portrayal of UFC legend Mark Kerr. And I honestly think that this could be that “Nation of Domination” moment for his career where he starts to play against type and break out from the world of big-budget action movies. I mean, he could still do those event films and all that, but this change in direction could take Johnson to new heights.
There are quite a few upcoming Dwayne Johnson movies in the works, including the Moana live-action remake, so it’s hard to say when, or if, we’ll see a change in direction. However, as The Rock has shown us time and time again in the ring, expect the unexpected.
