Among the many ways that Dwayne Johnson has stayed on top of his iconic status on the big screen in recent years is by taking on a lead role in the reboot of the Jumanji franchise. We were lucky enough to receive his role as Dr. Smolder Bravestone in 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and we can expect to see that smolder returning to Regal for Jumanji: The Next Level on December 13th. Despite being a body-building icon and world-renowned tough guy, Dwayne Johnson gets to stretch out his funny bone and work his charm on audiences everywhere with his Jumanji role.
From his humble beginnings as one of the most well-known WWE wrestlers through his movie career, taking on roles from brutish bounty hunter to lovable Disney character, The Rock has certainly made a name for himself on the big screen. In honor of the release of his latest project, we looked back on some of our favorite Dwayne Johnson movie moments and hung them up in “The Rock in Role” Hall of Fame!
The ants
The Scorpion King (2002)
Mathayus (Dwayne Johnson) in The Scorpion King (2002)
It isn’t often that we find a helpless Dwayne Johnson in his movies, but in this hilarious (yet highly stressful) scene from The Scorpion King, we get to see Johnson fighting tooth and nail—well... just tooth—for his life. Most people buried in the sand facing off with an army of hungry fire ants wouldn’t stand a chance at survival. Not The Rock. As they begin to swarm, he crushes them with his chin and even chews a few up. For such a big man, these little bugs seemed to come closer to victory than any other of his adversaries.
Head to head with Vin Diesel
Fast Five (2011)
Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) in Fast Five (2011)
Even next to the big, bad, Hollywood bruiser Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson still seems like a giant. Though, Diesel gives him a run for his money when they go head to head in the epic midtown brawl from Fast Five. Throwing Vin Diesel through tables, windows, and even solid concrete, Johnson delivers a big-screen, WWE-style beatdown the likes of which we’ve never seen. Needless to say, Johnson won the fight.
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Aim for the bushes
The Other Guys (2010)
P.K. Highsmith (Samuel L. Jackson) and Christopher Danson (Dwayne Johnson) in The Other Guys (2010)
In arguably one of his funniest cameos, The Rock partners up with Samuel L. Jackson as detectives Christopher Danson and P.K. Highsmith, respectively, who take a steel boot to crime, leaving a wake of carnage and destruction behind them. The super cool cop duo’s egos inflate to the point of invincibility, leading them to jump off of a 20-story building in an act of prideful heroism, leaving them in a puddle on the ground.
The toe
Pain & Gain (2013)
Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie), Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) and Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) in Pain & Gain (2013)
In Michael Bay’s off-the-charts crime comedy Pain & Gain, Johnson plays the role of a drugged-up, born-again Christian who gets roped into an extortion scheme. In one of his craziest moments in the movie, we see The Rock get covered in anti-theft paint, jump into a river to escape the police, get his toe shot off, swim back to pick it up, then crash Mark Walhberg’s party in an effort to get the toe reattached. Wild.
The smolder
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Spencer (Dwayne Johnson) in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Dwayne Johnson is an expert in a lot of things: body-building, fighting, wearing tight clothes, to name a few. However, in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Dr. Bravestone discovers his hidden talent of “smoldering intensity”—an iconic trait of The Rock. In this hilarious scene, the character discovers his new sets of skills while exploring the “huge pecs” of the real-life Dwayne. We are instantly shown why this is such an important skill as he stares intensely off into the distance, the way only a powerful hero can.
You’re Welcome
Moana (2016)
Maui (voiced by Dwayne Johnson) in Moana (2016)
Johnson’s role as Maui in Disney’s Moana not only pays homage to his own Pacific Islands heritage, but it is a role that factors in all of his iconic traits and even surprises us with some new ones. When his character breaks out in his debut song “You’re Welcome,” taking praise for everything he has created for humanity, we were shocked to learn that singing is just another skill to add to this titan’s resume. Even as a supporting role in the movie, Johnson’s mini-Maui steals the show.
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With the latest chapter of Jumanji set to hit Regal this week, it’s safe to assume that Johnson’s return as Dr. Smolder Bravestone will have a spot among this list. See for yourself when you level up with us this Friday, December 13th for Jumanji: The Next Level.
