Could Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson Return To The WWE During The Writer's Strike?
You would've had to have spent the better part of the last 25 years living under a rock not to be familiar with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The former pro wrestling star, who made history as the WWE's first-ever Black world champion, capitalized on that charisma and fame and went into acting soon after he left the ring. His Hollywood resume includes anchoring the blockbuster series of "The Fast and The Furious" films, which have grossed nearly $7.5 billion worldwide. Johnson also starred in the biographical sitcom "Young Rock" — which told his origin story in the form of flashbacks to his childhood and teen years — as well as several "Jumanji" spin-off films and last year's DC flick, "Black Adam."
But with the writer's and actor's strikes putting the brakes on Hollywood's production schedules for the foreseeable future, could The Rock be eyeing a return to his old profession sometime soon? "WWE Smackdown" could actually offer him a path back into pro wrestling and simultaneously back onto television. Johnson has made more than 150 appearances on "Smackdown," including on the first ever episode back in 1999. In a tweet, Wrestling Observer cited WWE CEO Nick Khan as saying that the writer's strike would not affect WWE events, including Smackdown or any live bouts. As performers, pro wrestlers are independent contractors and not members of any union – including SAG-AFTRA — potentially paving the way for The Rock to return to the ring.
The Rock has been trading online barbs with WWE star Grayson Waller
Dwayne Johnson hasn't confirmed one way or the other if he is pondering a return to the ring. However, he recently fueled rumors of an in-ring return amid discussion earlier in the year of a possible return to face his cousin, Roman Reigns, at Wrestlemania 39. While Johnson did not return at Wrestlemania 39, he did send out a tweet wishing Reigns luck in his match against Cody Rhodes.
Aside from that, Johnson and Australian WWE star Grayson Waller have also been engaged in a recent war of words via social media that could foreshadow a potential showdown between them. During last week's "Smackdown" broadcast, Waller pointed a finger at the brewing Johnson family drama before donning a replica of the outfit The Rock wore for his Madison Square Garden debut back in 1996.
Waller later took to Twitter to poke more fun at the outfit and even co-opted one of Johnson's signature phrases to mock the former champion further. "This is so cringe," Waller said. "'Do you smell what I'm cooking?' This is yuck!"
Johnson responded with a tweet that read, "Man you're right! That outfit was so cringe. Here's what's more cringe – the fact you look and sound like you dropped out of some jabroni's balloon knot. Nice haircut, you Outback J*** Off. Ps, my cringe debut outfit was all @TripleH's idea."
Dwayne Johnson does have several film projects in the can
The theatrical back-and-forth with Grayson Waller aside, any speculation that Dwayne Johnson is about to give up acting and return to being battered around a wrestling ring is nothing but speculation at this point. This is especially the case when you consider how ongoing strikes are now potentially delaying the production of the next two "Fast and Furious" films.
Projects that are already in the can are safe from the twin labor actions, however, and that includes Johnson's upcoming holiday action flick, "Red One." Rumored to be the first installment in a Christmas-themed action franchise, "Red One" is scheduled for release later this year, and with production already completed, that should not be delayed. Some of Johnson's other projects could be pushed back by one or both of the ongoing strikes, however. Johnson is also slated to reprise his role as Maui in the live-action remake of "Moana," which is currently scheduled for a 2025 release.
He is also set to star in the title role in the upcoming superhero flick "Doc Savage," making him a busy man whether or not the WGA and/or SAG-AFTRA strikes are resolved quickly. And regardless of whether or not Johnson decides to wrestle professionally again, it looks as if he has plenty of work lined up in Hollywood.