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Dwayne Johnson’s name stands as a synonym for action in Hollywood. Snuggly fitting over 50 acting credits under his belt,The Scorpion Kingstar made an ascending transition to the film industry following an equally successful stint at WWE. However, despite his immense star power, his recent movies have been a bit of a downer, especially after his controversial exit from the DCEU following the $393 millionBlack Adam.
The wrestler-turned-actor, 51, is currently dabbling in other genres, but there is one he has not touched on in a long time. That one being Johnson fighting alongside astonishingly humongous monsters, dwarfing his own size. The Rock last dealt with unnaturally gigantic monsters in his 2018 $428 million filmRampage, and despite its box-office success, the film is generally sidelined in his resume. So what went wrong?
Well, Johnson’s charisma actually needed a bit more of an explosive boost, much more than we had seen inRampage. And only the massive kaiju of MonsterVerse holds that kind of firepower.
Also read:“I wound up hitting a stuntman”: Dwayne Johnson Couldn’t Forgive Himself for Clocking Scorpion King Stuntman, Bought Him a Rolex Watch as Apology
Dwayne Johnson’s Action and Godzilla’s Atomic Breath: The Perfect Incendiary Combo?
Although this might sound strange, both Dwayne Johnson and the MonsterVerseGodzillamovies have seen a similar trend. Almost all of his recent films, post-Hobbs& ShawandJumanji: The Next Level, have seen moderate to little success. Of course, the biggest slap on his face was the widely criticizedBlack Adam, with alleged reports of him trying to force the then DCEU into showcasing his anti-hero against Henry Cavill’s Superman. Thankfully, that never came to pass.
On the other hand, we have the esteemed MonsterVerse and itsGodzillafilms, which stem from Japan’s glorious black-and-white films featuring the King of the Monsters since way back in 1954. However, the MonsterVerse films, despite their out-of-the-world CGI and the coolest monster designs, have failed to capture their audience at full capacity. With the exception of the firstGodzilla(2014) film,Godzilla: King of the Monsters(2019) andGodzilla vs. Kong(2021) received mixed reactions at best and fared way below the projected expectations at the box office.
There’s one peculiar case with MonsterVerse, however. The first film had more human interaction as compared to the sequels.Godzilla(2014) actually saw the protagonist, Ford Brody, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, engage in action sequences while the titular Kaiju fought the devilish MUTOs. The last twoGodzillafilms were heavily criticized for taking the human element away, leaving most of the action to Godzilla and his fellow Titans. And which Hollywood actor is best at delivering action-packed, muscular blows? You guessed it right! One of the world’s highest-grossing actors– Dwayne Johnson!
Also read:“We are waiting for him”: Dwayne Johnson Joins Fans to Troll His Own Wax Figure Forcing Museum to Issue Statement After Brutal Accusation
A Change in Lead Might Prove To Be a Breath of Fresh Air for Godzilla and The MonsterVerse
Ever sinceStranger ThingsstarMillie Bobby Brown, 19, took over as the lead in MonsterVerse’sGodzillafilms (Godzilla: King of the Monster, Godzilla vs. Kong), the movies have not received a lot of favorable reviews. And it is in no way her fault; she is an amazing actor in her own right. However, givingGodzillathe same treatment asKing Kong, where the lead is reduced to a damsel in distress, isn’t going to work.
Godzilla is a force of nature that can cause earth-shattering calamities on his own, and his films need a protagonist that can go toe to toe with his climactic blasts, at least in a humane way. AndDwayne Johnson, having played a similar role inRampage, stands as the best candidate to pull MonsterVerse ahead.
If that happens, it won’t be the first time a big franchise changes its lead while keeping its CGI-ed characters. TheTransformersfranchise did something similar in 2014 withAge of Extinction, introducingMark Wahlbergas the new lead. However, the film and its sequel failed to capture the essence of the previous trilogy, which rocketed Shia LaBeouf to stardom.
We can only hope that MonsterVerse films will be able to accommodate Johnson’s on-screen dominance in the right way if he ever chooses to explore the Hollow Earth.
StreamRampageon DIRECTV.
Also Read:Dwayne Johnson Can Finally Be in the $5.2B Franchise He Lost to Mark Wahlberg
Siddhika Prajapati
Senior Journalist & Content Head
Articles Published :3310
With over 3,300 articles carved into the digital walls of FandomWire, Siddhika Prajapati excels at creating, curating, and elevating engaging stories. She takes pride in giving these stories a home and, of course, she’s got a Google Knowledge Panel to prove it!Whether it’s reviewing the latest drop on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+, or analyzing the cultural echoes of a streaming hit on Paramount+ or Max, Siddhika is always writing three steps ahead of the discourse.
