The Marvel Cinematic Universe is ever-expanding and so is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s box office pull. Fresh off his turns in Jungle Cruise and Red Notice, Johnson is set to play the villainous title character in DC’s upcoming Black Adam. There is seemingly no end in sight to Johnson’s reign as Hollywood’s highest-paid and most in-demand actor, which has led fans to wonder if his next big project might be one within the MCU.
If Johnson were to join the cast of a Marvel film, who might he play? While he’s shown great versatility by adding roles like Maui in Moana and even the Tooth Fairy to his résumé, he’s primarily an action star with a hulking bod that narrows down the possibilities pretty significantly.
Here are five Marvel characters we think Johnson could feasibly play in the MCU should he choose to take the leap.
The Thing
What better character for The Rock to play than the Fantastic Four character who happens to be made of rock? The Thing will most likely debut in the MCU’s recently announced Fantastic Four film, with Jon Watts is slated to direct. Puns aside, Johnson would fit the strong-headed character quite well, and not just because of his physicality. Marvel is famous for infusing some of its less-accessible characters with a healthy dose of comedy, and since Johnson has more than proven his chops in that regard with roles like Maui and Doctor “Smolder” Bravestone in the Jumanji films, we can definitely see him adding more chutzpah to The Thing than the character’s predecessors.
The Sentry
Give Dwayne Johnson long blonde hair and he could easily play The Sentry, one of the strongest beings in the Marvel universe. The Sentry might be a bit of a reach given that we barely know what The Rock looks like with hair let alone long blonde hair, but we’re confident he could pull it off. The character has an evil counterpart called The Void that might fit Johnson well considering that he’s about to make his DC film debut as Black Adam. The character has never appeared in any large Marvel projects outside of the comics, only making several smaller appearances in games. Still, if anyone could pull off The Sentry’s physique, it’s The Rock.
Juggernaut
The villain that cannot be stopped, Juggernaut a member of the Brotherhood of Mutants and is another obvious choice for Johnson. Juggernaut is not a mutant in the comic books but is instead blessed by an ancient gem that gives him unstoppable strength. In the comic books, Juggernaut is Professor X’s stepbrother, so it might be entertaining to see Johnson play opposite a skinny British guy in a wheelchair, especially clad in armor and a domed helmet. The best interpretation of the character we’ve seen in a film so far was in Deadpool 2, and he was completely CGI, so a more lifelike appearance from Johnson in the role would be a welcome sight.
The Absorbing Man
Crusher Creel, aka The Absorbing Man, can absorb the powers of anything or anyone and mimic their properties. He usually carries around a wrecking ball so he can have access to steel. Johnson would be a perfect choice for The Absorbing Man. The character also used to be a boxer, which is perfect given Johnson’s career as a wrestler. The character did get a name drop in the Netflix series Daredevil as well as appearing in Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., but if he were to be brought into the MCU proper, The Rock would be a great choice. Just imagine how big of a wrecking ball he could whip around!
Apocalypse
One of the greatest X-Men villains of all time, Apocalypse was the first mutant in the comic books dating all the way back to ancient Egypt. Ironically, Johnson may fit Apocalypse the best out of every other option on this list since he’s the character most similar to Black Adam. Oscar Isaac’s portrayal of him in X-Men: Apocalypse seemed promising, but the film ended up being one of the choppiest superhero movies of all time. The character has not had much luck on the live-action front, but if Johnson were to suit up as the ancient mutant, surely he could turn it around. Plus, that blue outfit looks like something a wrestler could really pull off.
There you have it, five great characters Dwayne Johnson could play in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Do you agree with these choices? Would you rather have Johnson play someone else, or not be in the MCU at all? Let us know in the comments below!
