Here's a fun fact you probably didn't know: Before playing the anti-hero Black Adam of DC, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson used to have a talk with
Marvel and Kevin Feige about a possible MCU role in the future. This didn't happen, unfortunately, as the ex-WWE star eventually took the DC role, but this rumor caused quite a stir in the Marvel community. The Rock is known for his muscular builds and his knack for action movies, so obviously there was a bunch of promising superheroes role that he could have brought to life.
Marvel has already established hundreds of superheroes up to date, but there are still plenty who are still waiting for their turn to step into the action. And since Black Adam wasn't really a hit at the box office, and a sequel is unlikely to happen any time soon, we can hope for our favorite action star to have a chance in the MCU in the future. For now, let's look at these 6 potential superhero roles that we believe The Rock can fit seamlessly into.
#1 The Thing
Source: Marvel Comics
When a Marvel fanatic looks at Dwayne Johnson's build, this would be the first thought that pops up in their head: "This guy is a perfect fit to play The Thing." The superhero is a pivotal founding member of the Fantastic Four, who earned his power and trademark rocky appearance due to cosmic radiation exposure when traveling with his team out of space. Therefore, it's only natural for The Rock to take this role: with a little help from CGI, he'd transform into The Thing perfectly. Not to mention, his experience in comedy skits will make some fine banters for Ben Grimm as well.
#2 Silver Surfer
Source: Marvel Comics
An enemy-turn-ally of the Fantastic Four, Silver Surfer is one of the most powerful entities in the universe, who was brought to the big screen in Fantastic Four 2 back in 2007. He's also a perfect role for The Rock to portray, although his version of Silver Surfer would be far bulkier than the comic ones. And with the actor's background, it won't take much time for him to learn to ride on the surfboard as well.
#3 Namor
Source: Marvel Comics
An ex-teammate of Silver Surfer in the comic, Namor is also a character that we hope to see The Rock portrays. In fact, he was one of the initial candidates to take the role before Tenoch Huerta's casting in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It's not difficult to see some similarities between The Sub-Mariner and Johnson's Black Adam: both are straightforward and hot-headed anti-heroes whose ideal often clashes with the others. If the casting went the other way, we could have seen a much different version of Namor on the big screen.
#4 Kingpin
Source: Marvel Comics
The ultimate crime lord with an oversized body in New York City, Kingpin would have been another good fit for The Rock. Both have heavy muscles and wield immense physical strength and while Wilson Fisk's body is much larger than Johnson, nothing a bit of CGI magic can't help. Marvel is full of charismatic supervillains, and The Rock as Kingpin could easily be one of them. The role is currently played by Vincent D'Onofrio, who did a good job portraying the criminal, but if it was The Rock instead…
#5 Ares
Source: Marvel Comics
Dwayne Johnson is no stranger to the Ancient Greek setting, having starred as the demigod Hercules in the eponymous film in 2014, though some would argue that he'd play the villain role of Ares way better. In the Marvel Universe, Ares is a ruthless god of war who knows only of bloodshed, and The Rock is perfect for these kinds of roles. This role can even pave the way for some ambitious Marvel projects in the future, such as Thor's following sequels or the Dark Avengers. And besides, who wouldn't want to see a muscular, white-haired ponytail Dwayne Johnson in action?
#6 Wonder Man
Source: IGN
Another superhero character that would have been perfect for Dwayne Johnson, there are even some rumors about him taking the role before Yahaya Abdul-Mateen II was cast for the Disney+ series. An interesting is that, in the comic, besides aiding the Avengers in battle, Simon Williams also works as a Hollywood star. As an action star who also took part in wrestling games before, The Rock's background has some eerily similarities to Williams, and not to mention he can play comedic characters as well!
Which character above do you think The Rock can portray best? Let us know!