Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson might be one of the most recognizable Hollywood superstars of the modern age, but has somehow avoided contact with the industry-defining success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. No stranger to leading tentpole franchises, the former pro wrestler is known for his iconic roles in blockbusters like the Fast and Furious movies, Disney’s Moana, and action comedies like Jumanji: The Next Level. But despite it all, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has never managed to be cast in an MCU film.
That’s not to say the musclebound movie star has no experience with superhero movies, helming the disastrously-fated DCEU film Black Adam. Even if Black Adam might not have changed the hierarchy of the DC Universe as promised, Johnson still has plenty of potential in a comic book role. Now that Dwayne Johnson has signed a lucrative Disney deal, his chance of finally appearing in an MCU project are higher than ever before.
10Hercules
Thor’s Greek counterpart
While Thor might be the best-known real-world god adapted into a superhero by the Marvel Comics, he’s far from the only public domain character to get a comic book spin by the company. The Greek Pantheon has also made a fair number of appearances in Marvel’s comic runs, most notably the demi-human hero Hercules. Based off the real legendary figure, Hercules is a mighty hero with a jovial attitude not too different from the MCU’s interpretation of Thor.
While Brett Goldstein already brought Hercules to life in the MCU, there’s nothing to say that Marvel couldn’t re-cast the character, as they have done in the past even with characters as notable as The Hulk.
Hercules has actually appeared once in the MCU already, showing up in the post-credits scene of Thor: Love and Thunder. While Brett Goldstein already brought Hercules to life in the MCU, there’s nothing to say that Marvel couldn’t re-cast the character, as they have done in the past even with characters as notable as The Hulk. Considering Dwayne Johnson has actually played Hercules before in the eponymous 2014 film, he’d be a natural fit for the hero.
9Ares
Hercules’ dreaded villain counterpart
Admittedly, Brett Goldstein has a perfect look as Hercules, and the MCU may not be willing to give it up in order to slot Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson in. That being said, he isn’t the only character from the Hellenistic Pantheon with the potential for Johnson to step in as. Enter Ares, the God of War (and, hilariously enough in the Marvel universe, golf) as well as Hercules’ arch nemesis in the comics.
Just like his DC counterpart of Wonder Woman fame, Ares is an eternal warmonger who relishes the wanton destruction of battle, paying little heed to the actual ideology or reasoning for the fighting. Playing a divine villain before with Black Adam, Dwayne Johnson might be a natural fit for Ares, perhaps even more so than Hercules. That being said, Johnson’s infamous clause that doesn’t allow him to take action roles in which he is defeated might spell problems for an MCU movie casting him as an antagonist.
8Hyperion
Another character similar to Black Adam, Hyperion might be Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s best, most realistic shot at entering the MCU. Hyperion is another Marvel interpretation of the Superman powerset, alongside Sentry, who will appear in Thunderbolts* as the primary antagonist. Originally an Eternal, Hyperion was adopted by a human family similar to Clark Kent, who raised him to be a hero. He goes on to form the Squadron Supreme, essentially Marvel’s answer to the Justice League.
Hyperion might be incredibly similar to Ikaris from Eternals, sporting a similar suite of powers including flight, super strength, invulnerability, and project eye beams of pure atomic energy. However, now that the position of the MCU’s Superman is once again up for grabs, Hyperion could be the perfect answer, an easy place to insert Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s innate charisma. The character’s staggering power levels would also make it easy to work around Johnson’s “no losing” rule for taking acting roles.
7 Apocalypse
The ultimate X-Men villain
One of the most fearsome recurring villains in all of Marvel Comics, Apocalypse is one of the most powerful antagonists yet to be featured in the MCU. Born in Ancient Egypt as En Sabah Nur, Apocalypse is the first mutant ever in recorded history, bearing a dizzying array of powers that allow him to re-arrange matter on a molecular level. In the Fox X-Men movie series, Apocalypse was played by Oscar Isaac, who has since been given his own place in the MCU as Moon Knight.
Sadly, Isaac’s performance was buried in the disappointing production of X-Men: Apocalypse. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson could work as a far more threatening take on Apocalypse in the MCU, giving the character the bulkier phsyicality and dramatic sense of threat sorely lacking from the Fox version. His Ancient Egyptian origins are also not dissimilar to Black Adam’s, making for another character in the MCU Johnson’s DCEU role would’ve well-prepared him for.
6 Silver Surfer
The Herald of Galactus
With Galactus confirmed to appear in the upcoming The Fantastic Four, a Marvel Cinematic Universe interpretation of the Silver Surfer can’t be far behind. Once an alien named Norrin Radd descended from an ancient, technologically advanced civilization, everything changed when Radd agreed to become Galactus’ herald in exchange for the planet-smashing devourer to spare his world. From then on, Norrin Radd was destined to forever roam the galaxy in search of new planets for Galactus as the Silver Surfer.
A being comprised of chrome, silvery energy, The Silver Surfer would obviously have to be a primarily CGI role. Luckily, voice work is something Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is no stranger to, voicing the demi-god Maui in Disney’s Moana. Johnson’s impressive physicality could also be a great reference for Marvel’s steadfast animation department, providing some valuable motion-capture data. Performance wise, it shouldn’t be hard for Johnson to sell the detached Norrin Radd, who bears a similar nihilistic personality to Black Adam, if a bit kinder.
5 The Juggernaut
Marvel’s original unstoppable force
The half-brother of Charles Xavier, Cain Marko is, interestingly enough, not a mutant. Originally a soldier, Marko obtained the Crimson Gem of Cyttorak, a mythical artefact which allowed him to harness the power of the fell Crimson God in order to become the Avatar of Cyttorak, a.k.a. the Juggernaut. Despite his magical origins, The Juggernaut is most commonly seen in the company of the X-Men, either as a foe or an occasional ally.
Juggernaut’s powers might be the best fit for Johnson’s “no losing” clause for his roles — Once the Juggernaut starts going, he becomes a truly unstoppable force.
The Juggernaut’s imposing physical presence make him a natural fit for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, being a dead ringer for the bitter and vengeful Cain Marko. On top of that, Juggernaut’s powers might be the best fit for Johnson’s “no losing” clause for his roles — Once the Juggernaut starts going, he becomes a truly unstoppable force. It would be undeniably exciting to see Johnson tear through the MCU’s take on the X-Men through the holes of the Juggernaut’s iconic helmet.
4 Gladiator
Champion of the Shi’Ar Empire
An alien conqueror, Gladiator is the premiere warrior of the Shi’Ar Empire’s Imperial Guard. A native of the planet Strontia, Gladiator survived a rigorous selection process and a dangerous program of alien enrichment not dissimilar to Captain America’s origins. Gladiator has yet another suite of deadly Superman-esque powers, including flight, super strength, and heat beams, with an added twist — The more confident Gladiator becomes in himself, the stronger he gets.
Admittedly, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would have to put up with some funky purple makeup and pointed ears in order to faithfully portray Gladiator. However, the self-aggrandizing warrior would be a perfect role for Johnson to step into, spurred on by his own vivacious confidence. Most recently, Gladiator appeared as a cameo in X-Men ’97, meaning no time could be better to debut the somewhat obscure character from Marvel’s cosmic cast.
3 Beta Ray Bill
A worthy successor to Thor
Despite his strange appearance, Beta Ray Bill just may be the most famous character from the Thor comics to still have not gotten a proper MCU appearance. An alien from outside the Milky Way galaxy, Beta Ray Bill underwent cybernetic enhancements, resulting in his monstrous appearance. For a time, Beta Ray Bill steals Mjolnir from Thor, gaining his powers, before eventually settling in Asgard with a weapon of his own, Stormbreaker, which has already shown up in the MCU.
Once again, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson can put his vocal talents to use on the obviously CGI character.
Beta Ray Bill only got a brief cameo as a statue in Thor: Ragnarok, but never fully appeared in the MCU despite his signature weapon being forged. With Thor seemingly retired to raise his former enemy’s daughter, Love, in peace, it might be a better time than ever to introduced Beta Ray Bill as Stormbreaker’s newest wielder in the MCU. Once again, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson can put his vocal talents to use on the obviously CGI character.
2 Blue Marvel
A lesser-known genius hero
Blue Marvel might not Marvel’s biggest household name, but Black Adam proved that Dwayne Johnson isn’t one to back down from a more obscure character. Originally a scientist, Dr. Adam Brashear became the hero known as Blue Marvel after being caught in an anti-matter explosion, granting him a suite of varied powers including super strength, matter manipulation, and drastically reduced aging.
Blue Marvel is a versatile hero the MCU could easily introduce at the current stage of its development, either through the character’s association with Namor or his affiliation with Luke Cage and the Defenders of Netflix fame. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson would be a great match for the anti-matter-powered hero. In particular, Blue Marvel’s enhanced human lifespan is analgous to Johnson’s character in Jungle Cruise, giving him some familiar space to work with.
1 Titannus
The Skrull equivalent of Captain America
Super-Skrull isn’t the only noteworthy member of his eponymous race to gain powers beyond mere shapeshifting. Interestingly enough, Titannus began life as a rare Skrull born with no shapeshifting abilities to speak of, making him an inherent outcast. Eventually, he was chosen for the Skrull Empire’s insidious Super-Skrull project, granting him super strength, speed, and a remarkably fast healing factor.
Titannus puts these skills to use in the name of the Skrull Empire in the comics, taking over entire planets. While the MCU’s Skrulls are decidedly more docile, Titannus would be a great place to introduce Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, possibly retconning his inability to shapeshift in order to keep his recognizable face from being green for too long. Johnson has demonstrated an ability to channel the ferocious tyranny of a fearsome villain when given the chance, and Titannus just might be the role to allow him to do so in the MCU.
