Dwayne Johnson might be one of the most prolific A-listers currently working, but he has also attached himself to lots of films that happen. After making his debut with a featured cameo in The Mummy Returns, Johnson felt ready-made for movie stardom. Still, it took a long time for the Dwayne Johnson movie brand to come together.

Most of the early Johnson action movies like The Rundown underperformed, and he was soon stranded in mediocre kids’ movies. His role as Hobbs in Fast Five changed all that, and he was soon cranking out action blockbusters like a factory.

After a near unbroken streak of hits, the failure of Johnson’s Black Adam made the star reᴀssess his career moving forward. The acclaim Johnson is receiving for his turn in The Smashing Machine looks set to change his career again, meaning a lot of movies Johnson was once attached to probably won’t happen now.

Big Trouble in Little China

In 2015, Johnson attached himself to a remake of the John Carpenter adventure, Big Trouble in Little China. On the surface, it ticked a lot of the Johnson blockbuster checklist: a high concept, lots of special effects and a diverse cast. As development wore on, it evolved from a remake to a legacy sequel.

Neither Carpenter nor original star Kurt Russell sounded very enthusiastic about Johnson’s Big Trouble in Little China plans, however. Word around the project started to go quiet around the time of the Fox/Disney merger, and it now seems to be on the back burner for Johnson.

Johnny Bravo

Johnny Bravo is a beloved Cartoon Network show that arrived in 1997 and revolved around the lovely dumb, musclebound тιтle character. Not to sound like a backhanded compliment, but on paper, Johnson felt like perfect casting for a live-action Johnny. Warner Bros thought the same, developing a film version with Johnson in the lead.

In the WWE, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was essentially a live-action cartoon anyway, and his natural flair for comedy made him ideal. Unfortunately, the proposed Johnny Bravo movie quietly died during development, and if it ever happens, its doubtful Johnson would still want to play the Elvis-aping lead.

G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant

For a time, Johnson developed a reputation for coming in to save flagging franchises. He gave the Fast and Furious saga a major boost, while Journey 2: The Mysterious Island was even bigger than the original. G.I. Joe: Retaliation introduced Johnson to the would-be franchise as Roadblock, where he became the de facto lead following Duke’s (Channing Tatum) death.

Retaliation scored bad reviews but was a hit, and a third entry dubbed G.I. Joe: Ever Vigilant was announced. Johnson and Bruce Willis were expected to return, but as development dragged on over the span of five years, it became clear a third film probably wouldn’t happen. In the end, the series was (unsuccessfully) rebooted with 2021’s Snake Eyes.

Saint’s Row

Saints Row is one of the open-world clones of Grand Theft Auto, with the franchise soon establishing its own unique idenтιтy. For a time, Johnson was attached to front a movie version, which was described as a riff on John Carpenter’s Escape from New York but with the blackly comic undertones of the Saints Row games.

The film spinoff was also said to bridge the gap between the second and third games. Ultimately, the bankruptcy of developer THQ saw the rights to the property sold off to another company, and the Johnson film was scrapped. A film is apparently still in development, though it has yet to head before cameras.

Doc Savage

Doc Savage is a musclebound genius and adventurer who made his debut in 1930s pulp magazines. The character made his movie debut with 1975’s poorly received Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze, starring Ron Ely. Lethal Weapon writer Shane Black is also a huge fan of Savage and spent years developing a film based on the property.

Black very much viewed Johnson as the only actor who could play the larger than life Doc Savage, with the star himself confirming on social media he was attached. It seems issues with the rights (and likely the box-office viability of a somewhat obscure pulp character) led to the project’s demise.

Black Adam 2

Johnson spent years developing a Black Adam movie and had major plans for the character’s future. Johnson claimed many times that “The hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change” with the movie, but its underwhelming critical and box-office performance – alongside the totla rebooting of the DC film universe – killed those plans real swift.

Black Adam 2 would have paid off the original’s mid-credits scene by having the anti-hero fight Henry Cavill’s Superman, and Johnson mentioned other potential crossover ideas for the character. Given the quite tepid reaction to the first outing, it’s best it stopped at one entry.

SpyHunter

One of the genuine curios of Johnson’s early career is his starring role in a PS2 remake of the Spy Hunter games. Subтιтled Nowhere to Run, this game cast Johnson as Agent Decker, who drives around a very cool, gadget-laden car while taking down bad guys.

The game began life as a tie-in for a planned SpyHunter film, to be directed by action icon John Woo. Johnson himself was very excited for SpyHunter, and stayed with the project after Woo exited, and after multiple production delays. After years of largely fruitless development and script revisions, the movie was shelved.

Red Notice 2

Red Notice paired Johnson, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot for a Netflix original that is still one of the streamer’s most viewed movies. Shortly after its record-breaking success, plans were put in place for the trio to reunite for Red Notice 2 and 3. There was even an ambiguous plan to shoot both projects at the same time.

However, word on the Red Notice sequels has gone deathly quiet since 2022. Despite being officially greenlit, there is no sign of movement on a follow-up at all, with Johnson and Reynolds being busy elsewhere. Despite the high ratings of the first installment, the toxic critical response to it may be a key reason a sequel hasn’t happened.

San Andreas 2

The first San Andreas cast Johnson as a helicopter rescue pilot racing to save his daughter from a devastating earthquake. Reviews were mixed, but the box office was healthy, and a sequel went into development. The follow-ups concept was said to focus on the real-life Pacific Ring of Fire, which would have upped the scale of the carnage significantly.

Most of the cast were set to return, but by 2021, co-star Alexandra Daddario expressed major doubt about a sequel. The film kept being pushed back due to Johnson’s other projects, and a decade on, the chances of it happening feel remote.

The King

One of Johnson’s big pᴀssion projects is The King, a drama based on King Kamehameha, the first ruler of the Kingdom of Hawaii. The movie became a buzzy project when it was announced in 2018, with Robert Zemeckis attached to direct and a script from Braveheart‘s Randall Wallace.

The historical epic could have balanced major setpieces by giving Johnson an acting showcase. However, Johnson’s schedule kept pushing it back and its status is currently unknown. Given Dwayne Johnson’s personal connection to the material and seeking weightier acting roles, there’ a reasonable chance of The King happening someday.

Follow

Followed

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

Height

6 feet 5 inches

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