Dwayne Johnson may be at the top of Hollywood’s A-list, but despite his popularity, his most recent films have failed to generate much excitement or revenue, but that’s all about to change thanks to Jumanji 4
finally setting a release date. Johnson’s career has taken him to extremes in terms of performance. Initially, he started as a professional wrestler, where his following grew and he became a popular athlete. However, his first foray into film, with his silent role as the monster in The mummy returns it was less than spectacular.
However, Johnson soldiered on, and before long, he became a popular and credible actor in his own right. His physique clearly made him a good fit for action roles and playing the hero, but Johnson also refined his ability to deliver compelling, emotional performances. And so, he found a niche as an action-comedy star. But in recent years, Johnson’s acting career has been slower than usualwith the actor returning to work in the wrestling space once again.
The Rock has been falling at the box office for years
It’s been a slow few years for Dwayne Johnson
After the last Jumanji film managed to gross an incredible nearly $800 million at the box office in 2019 (via The Numbers), Johnson had a run of bad luck in movies. Disney projected that it would have a big hit on its hands with Jungle Cruisea film based on one of the park’s rides that could have expanded similarly to the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, but the film only just recouped its full production budget at the box office (via The Numbers), which meant that the franchise’s expansion plans were put on the back burner.
So Johnson starred Red Warning alongside two other action giants, Ryan Reynolds and Gal Gadot, but the film was panned by critics, earning just 37% in Rotten tomatoes of critics. So in 2022, Johnson bet everything on marketing and promoting Black Adama film he hoped would revive the struggling DCEU, and he even managed to bring Henry Cavill back after many years away from the franchise. But despite doubling its production budget at the box office (via The Numbers), the film was released just weeks before the DCEU’s death was announced, and James Gunn was hired as co-CEO of DC Studios.
Jumanji 4 should be a guaranteed success for Dwayne Johnson
Jumanji is a multi-billion dollar franchise
With so much bad luck, it was no wonder that the actor took a step back from Hollywood and put all his efforts into reviving his wrestling career. However, with the advertisement for Jumanji 4 scheduled to be released in 2026it’s as close to a guaranteed hit as possible for the star. The first film is a beloved classic from 1995, which was later revived in 2017 with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The film and its basic plot were revived because of the game, which could be played by anyone, and with an updated video game setting, it became an instant hit.
With so much bad luck, it was no wonder that the actor took a step back from Hollywood and put all his efforts into reviving his wrestling career.
Likewise, the sequence, Jumanji: The Next Level continued to build on the success of the original and delight fans everywhere. Therefore, while no film is 100% guaranteed to achieve major success at the box office, it is highly likely that Jumanji 4 will exceed US$500 million, and much will likely get closer to the billion dollar mark after its release. And while a film’s profitability isn’t the only factor worth considering, it certainly helps the actors involved.
The Rock could have several hits in the coming years
Dwayne Johnson has big hits coming
In November 2024, Dwayne Johnson is currently attached to 13 separate projects set for release in the coming years (through IMDB). His last leading role in a film was in 2022, with Black Adambut now, after a brief hiatus, the actor is set to appear in Moana 2 and Red in late 2024. In addition to a live-action version of Moana, where he will once again reprise his role as Maui and scheduled for release in 2026. In 2025, he will star in the biographical film, The Smashing Pumpkinwhich could earn the star some critical praise.
Then the graft continues in 2026, with Jumanji 4the live action Moanaand Fast X: Part 2 being just some of the other upcoming titles on their list. With so many upcoming projects, and several tied to successful franchises or that will be a major step forward in Dwayne Johnson’s career, there’s a lot to look forward to. But between them, Jumanji 4 aims to be one of the biggest potential live-action hits in the coming years, helping to put The Rock back on top.