Dwayne Johnson could have a major 2026 thanks to some high-profile releases, including one that belongs to one of his strongest franchises. However, while the previous installments have been box office successes, the next movie has a tricky release date.

Since transitioning to acting in 2001 with The Mummy Returns, Johnson has become one of the biggest stars in Hollywood by leading a number of high-profile blockbusters. He’s appeared in franchises like G.I. Joe, Fast & Furious, and the DC Extended Universe, albeit briefly on the last one.

A busy actor, Johnson often has multiple releases scheduled every year. Just last year, he returned to voice the demigod Maui in Disney’s smash hit Moana 2, and he attempted to kick off a new holiday action franchise with Red One. 2026 will be no different, with the actor first playing Maui in July’s live-action Moana.

Jumanji 4 Finally Brings Back One Of The Rock’s Biggest Box Office Successes

This Is A Crowd-Pleasing Franchise That Has Raked In Over $2 Billion

After Moana, Johnson’s 2026 will see the long-awaited release of Jumanji 4. The last movie in the franchise, Jumanji: The Next Level, was released in 2019, and talk of a follow-up began soon after. The fourth movie got stuck in development following the COVID-19 pandemic, but Sony eventually dated it for December 11, 2026.

Jumanji 4 is a pivotal release for Johnson. While he’s still enjoyed a few hits in recent years, such as the aforementioned Moana 2, his overall success rate has been mixed. His DC launchpad, Black Adam, crumbled under disappointing reviews and box office numbers, and Red One was slammed with a poor critical response.

The next year could change his outlook considerably. In addition to the live-action Moana, which stands as a likely hit, Johnson could end up courting awards attention with his late 2025 release The Smashing Machine. A successful return to the Jumanji franchise would only make everything better.

The last two movies were crowd-pleasing box office hits, grossing a combined $1.8 billion worldwide. That number grows to $2 billion when factoring in the original Jumanji and 2005 spinoff Zathura. ᴀssuming the creative team keeps the same spirit alive for the fourth movie, it too can become a huge win for Johnson.

Jumanji 4’s Release Date Has A Major Threat To Its Success

The Rock Might Not Be A Match For The Avengers Or Lisan Al Giab

Unfortunately, while December release dates have been kind to the previous Jumanji movies, next year promises to be a more difficult venture. Currently, Jumanji 4 is slated to premiere only one week before both Avengers: Doomsday and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three on December 18.

Though the Marvel Cinematic Universe isn’t quite the heavy-hitter it once was, Doomsday is being positioned as its biggest release since 2019’s Avengers: Endgame and will reunite numerous big-name characters, including The Fantastic Four and X-Men. Beyond that, the Dune franchise has only gotten bigger with each pᴀssing year.

Jumanji 4 would likely be aided by the holiday frame, but going up against two bigger event pictures would threaten its box office standing substantially, especially due to the larger gap between installments. Since filming hasn’t yet begun, it likely can’t move any earlier, though that would also be difficult because of other 2026 releases.

Right now, Jumanji 4‘s best bet is to shift to 2027 entirely. This might happen anyway due to the lack of production updates, but it would give Johnson and the rest of the creative team time to make a solid, enjoyable sequel without the threat of heavy compeтιтion. This franchise is a fun one that deserves a worthy return, not getting trampled by other movies.