From the DC Extended Universe to Universal’s Dark Universe, it feels like Dwayne Johnson is constantly rumored or attached to yet another franchise role. Since his big-screen debut way back in 2001’s The Mummy Returns, the wrestler-turned-actor has become one of the most beloved and profitable movie stars of the modern age. So it’s no wonder that every franchise is anxious to get into business with him. In just the past few years alone, Johnson has lent his impressive star power and boundless likeability to a number of franchises, boosting their performance considerably. Let’s look at some properties that have gotten to smell what The Rock is cooking.
3G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013)
Although G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra was a box office hit, it didn’t bring in the Transformers-level numbers that Hasbro may have been hoping for. So the sequel served as a soft reboot of the original film, with almost none of its predecessor’s stars returning (including, yup, Brendan Fraser again). Johnson’s proven appeal felt like a smart match for the material, and so he was brought in to entice audience members who may have passed on the first film. That experiment didn’t work as well as expected — it did boost international numbers though — and development of a third film appears to have been put on hold. As it turns out, even Johnson can only accomplish so much.
