Actor and professional wrestler Dwayne Johnson has a difficult choice to make between Marvel and DC Comics. Recent events could lead to the Great One joining Disney’s franchise.
Johnson recently portrayed the titular role of Black Adam in the namesake film. Shazam’s arch-nemesis did well at the global box office as it earned a whopping $388 million in seven weeks. However, reports by Variety claim that the film lost money as it had set a profit margin of $600 million worldwide.
To make matters worse, the earnings were nothing compared to Black Panther 2: Wakanda Forever. DC was already handed a humiliating loss by Marvel in 2016 when Captain America: Civil War outperformed the legendary Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice showdown. The recent defeat is worse considering the numbers.
Directed by Ryan Coogler, Black Panther 2 earned $767 million globally. It was the fifth-biggest Hollywood hit of 2022 at the worldwide box office. BvS lost to Civil War by about a million dollars. DCEU has also been jolted by Dwayne Johnson’s exit.
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The People’s Champion is not involved in James Gunn’s vision of the DC Extended Universe. He took to Twitter on December 21 to deliver the following message:
Dwayne Johnson has officially departed the DC building. What could be next? Apparently, he is willing to join the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Kevin Feige, president of Marvel, would be ecstatic that one of the highest-grossing actors replied to his comments.
In 2013, Feige disclosed that he was a “gigantic fan” of Dwayne Johnson’s work. The actor himself reacted to the statement after a whole decade, in a bid to thank the MCU Prez and give him ideas. He tweeted a picture of himself alongside Marvel Comics' Luke Cage.
To answer the question of Dwayne Johnson being in Marvel or DC, he is currently a part of neither. The door is seemingly open for the 50-year-old to join MCU. Time will tell whether this comes to fruition.
Dwayne Johnson’s preferred Marvel character: An overview of Luke Cage
According to Marvel Comics lore, Luke Cage (real name Carl Lucas) was sent to prison for a crime that he did not commit. There, he was subjected to an experiment to save himself from Albert Rackham, a corrupt security guard. It gave him enhanced physical capabilities, including superhuman strength and seemingly unbreakable skin.
Cage usually uses guns during his fights besides punching his way out of trouble. Dwayne is perfect for the gung-ho role. The experience gained in action-packed films such as Jumanji and even Black Adam could prove to be valuable for Dwayne Johnson potentially joining Marvel.
Mike Colter previously played the role of Luke Cage in a series spanning from 2016 to 2018. The Twitterati is conflicted in their opinions – some prefer Colter to reprise his role in the MCU while others want Johnson.