Dwayne Johnson is not so quietly entering the most successful era of his career. Ever since retiring as a WWE superstar in the early 2000s and breaking into Hollywood, Johnson has become one of the most successful movie stars of all time. Dwayne Johnson’s best movies include Fast Five, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and The Rundown. However, unfortunately, Johnson’s best movies haven’t necessarily been received well by critics. In fact, Johnson has earned a reputation for starring in disappointing films.

For years, moviegoers have criticized Dwayne Johnson’s movie characters for all being the exact same. Despite these complaints, most of Johnson’s movies have found a lot of success at the box office. Johnson has stayed in the spotlight for years, with his standout roles being Luke Hobbs in the Fast & Furious franchise and Maui in Disney’s animated Moana series. Because of these franchises and other projects that the actor has on the docket, the next two years could be the most successful of Johnson’s career.

Moana’s Live-Action Movie And Fast & Furious 11 Will Be The Rock’s Next Box Office Hits

Dwayne Johnson Has Several Successful Franchises On The Go

After years of being criticized for starring in low-rated movies, Johnson dipped his toes into the world of animation in 2016 with Moana. Moana was a huge success, and is actually the highest-rated movie of Johnson’s career, with a score of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes (via Rotten Tomatoes). In 2024, the long-awaited sequel to Moana was released. While Moana 2 was not as critically successful as the first film, it was a mᴀssive success at the box office, grossing over $1 billion (via Box Office Mojo).

In addition to these animated films, the Moana franchise is expanding into live-action. Johnson will star in the upcoming live-action Moana movie, which will adapt the story of the first film. After voicing Maui in the two animated films, Johnson will get to fully embody the character in the live-action remake. The movie is currently scheduled to be released on July 10, 2026, and will probably be one of the biggest movies of the summer.

The upcoming Fast & Furious 11, which is reportedly the last movie in the long-running franchise, is also slated to be released in 2026. After reprising his role as Hobbs in the post-credits scene of Fast X, Johnson’s character will likely help Dom and his crew take down the villainous Dante in the upcoming film. Johnson’s Hobbs is one of the best characters in the Fast & Furious franchise, so it will be great to see him return and interact with the other characters in the final film.

The Next Two Years Will Also See Dwayne Johnson Reinvent Himself As An Actor

Dwayne Johnson Is Working With Multiple Amazing Directors

While seeing Johnson in the Moana and Fast & Furious franchises will be exciting, he has also signed on to star in some standalone movies in the next few years. Firstly, Johnson will play former wrestler and MMA fighter Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine. Johnson underwent a complete transformation for this role, which could receive major awards buzz. While it’s still too early to tell, it’s even possible that Johnson could receive a Best Actor nomination for his role in The Smashing Machine, which would be a major accomplishment.

In addition to working with Safdie, one of the best directors currently working, Johnson has also signed on to star in a movie directed by Martin Scorsese, who is undeniably one of the best filmmakers of all time. Dwayne Johnson teaming up with Scorsese is very unexpected, but it is an incredible move for the actor. In the film, which has been compared to Goodfellas, Johnson will reportedly star as a ruthless Hawaiian crime boss alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt.

The Rock’s Career Could Take An Interesting Turn After His A24 & Martin Scorsese Movies

Dwayne Johnson Will Likely Receive A Lot Of Praise For These Movies

Johnson has always been able to find success at the box office, but his upcoming movies with Safdie and Scorsese could lead to him earning a different kind of acclaim. These two films may completely change how people view Johnson as an actor, especially if he gets nominated for some awards at major ceremonies. Therefore, in addition to guaranteed box office hits like Moana’s live-action remake and Fast & Furious 11, Dwayne Johnson may also be starring in some of the most critically acclaimed films of his career in the next two years.

Dwayne Johnson

Birthdate

May 2, 1972

Birthplace

Hayward, California, USA

Notable Projects

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Jumanji: The Next Level, San Andreas

Professions

Actor, Producer, Professional Wrestler