On the surface, the two Space Jam movies are very similar, something that’s even alluded to by several of the Looney Tunes. The current era’s most famous, recognizable and marketable basketball player ends up roped into a game of hoops with the fate of the universe at stake, and his only hope to save the day comes in the form of a gang of wild and wacky cartoon characters.
Based on the shared synopses alone, we might have to wait for another NBA star to emerge who gains the same level of global appeal as Michael Jordan or LeBron James before we see a Space Jam 3, especially when you consider that it took 25 years for A New Legacy to finally come together.
In fact, the long-awaited sequel only hit theaters and HBO Max today, but director Malcolm D. Lee is already talking up a potential third installment, and he already knows who he’d love to see play the main role.
“It’s all going to be about whether the fans respond to this positively. But I think the bar has been set so high in terms of the first one with this global iconic superstar in Michael Jordan, and now the same global iconic superstar in LeBron James, who transcends sports. Who is that next person to put into that universe? And then you’ve got to find a script and story that’s good enough to not repeat what’s been done but will capture the spirit of it and keep it going. Dwayne Johnson would be an interesting choice. It would be different. I’m not exactly sure what his skillset would be, maybe he goes back to wrestling. That might be interesting.”
Of course, whether or not Space Jam 3 with Dwayne Johnson happens could all depend on how A New Legacy performs at the box office. After all, the man doesn’t call himself ‘Franchise Viagra’ for no reason, and he’s got plenty of previous for dragging tired properties up to his level.
It’s nothing but wishful thinking on Lee’s part for the moment, though, but you can’t deny the idea of Space Jam 3 shifting its focus to the world of professional wrestling and forcing Johnson to re-embrace his days as The Rock would be one hell of a spin, and would probably have the Warner Bros. boardroom foaming at the mouth over the prospect.
