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Credit: ABCActor and entertainer Dwayne Johnson may cancel an upcoming project indefinitely, according to reports from an insider.
Dwayne Johnson’s journey to stardom began in the world of professional wrestling. He followed in the footsteps of his father, Rocky Johnson, and grandfather, Peter Mavia, both revered wrestlers, and quickly rose to prominence in the late 1990s as a charismatic and larger-than-life persona in the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). His success in the wrestling ring earned him a massive fan base and propelled him into mainstream popularity.
Transitioning from wrestling to acting, Johnson made his film debut in The Mummy Returns (2001), where he portrayed the memorable character Mathayus, also known as the Scorpion King. His performance was so well-received that it led to a spin-off film, The Scorpion King (2002), further establishing him as a leading man in Hollywood.
As the years went on, Johnson’s star continued to rise, and he became a sought-after actor for a variety of roles. He showcased his versatility by starring in action-packed blockbusters such as Fast Five (2011), Fast & Furious 6 (2013), and Furious 7 (2015), where he portrayed the formidable lawman Luke Hobbs. His charisma and on-screen chemistry with his co-stars breathed new life into the Fast & Furious franchise.
Johnson’s comedic talents shone brightly in movies like Central Intelligence (2016), where he shared the screen with Kevin Hart, and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), a sequel to the beloved 1995 film. His portrayal of Dr. Smolder Bravestone in the latter film demonstrated his ability to tackle diverse roles while keeping audiences entertained. Continuing to make waves, Johnson starred in action-packed spectacles such as Rampage (2018), Skyscraper (2018), and Hobbs & Shaw (2019). These roles solidified his status as one of the industry’s top action stars.
Johnson made the news in a big way a few weeks ago when he stepped into the fight of the ongoing Hollywood strikes. Despite Disney CEO Bob Iger calling for an end to the strikes– and receiving a lot of backlash along the way– The Rock took the side of the actors and writers, contributing the largest single donation in the history of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation.
The donation was heralded as a “call to arms” by SAG-AFTRA Foundation President Courtney B. Vance and a clear indication that Johnson was taking the other side of the aisle, opposed to Disney’s stance.
“It is a call to arms for all of us to know that we just have to step up however you can,” Vance said. “If your step up is $10, step up. Because that $10 is going to help somebody. If it’s $10,000, if it’s $10 million, step up, because we have to. Everyone knows what happens when you go on strike, when you stand for something — as the saying goes, if you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for everything — you can’t stand unless you have support underneath you, on the side, up top and up front. So Dwayne is letting everyone know, ‘I’m here. What are you going to do?’”
With the ongoing strikes happening, there were several rumors that Dwayne Johnson could return to his roots and perform in a WWE ring again. However, those reports did not come to fruition at WWE SummerSlam, when there were strong rumors that he could make a major return. Instead, many fans are still left wondering what might happen and WWE Insider Brian Gewirtz recently shared he thinks Dwayne Johnson might not join the project for a while.
“I would be shocked if The Rock appeared anytime soon while the strike is going on, but I would be equally, if not more shocked if The Rock never appeared in a WWE ring again and figuring in the storyline at some point. It needs to be crafted, discussed, and thought about. We’ve never talked about this, just my opinion, if The Rock tweeted something about The Bloodline, it’s not like if I tweeted something. If he tweeted something, the gates of hell are open. It’s hard to close the door again once you do it, once you dip your toe into the pool, it’s on.”
Currently, all of Dwayne Johnson’s projects are delayed, and that’s why fans believed he might return to the wrestling ring. The Rock is set to reprise his role as Maui in the upcoming live-action Moana film, but that has gone by the wayside for the time being until the strike can be resolved.
You can see The Rock in the upcoming film Red One (2023), which sees him star alongside Chris Evans and will be released this Holiday season.
What do you want to see Dwayne Johnson do next? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!