Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest movie stars in the world, but his seeming avoidance of auteur filmmakers is becoming a problem. Johnson rose to fame as wrestling alter-ego The Rock, where his natural charisma made it a given he would one day appear in movies. His screen debut was a cameo in 2001 blockbuster The Mummy Returns, where he played secondary villain The Scorpion King. He proved so popular he quickly fronted a prequel spin-off as the titular character, but while it was a success, he had trouble breaking through as an action star.
A number of these subsequent projects - including The Rundown and Doom - bombed, and while he received good reviews for his work in the likes of Be Cool, he quickly fell into mediocre comedies. After years of making successful, forgettable fare like The Game Plan, it was his supporting turn as Hobbs in Fast Five that truly launched him as a star. He had found the perfect match of character and material, and in addition to appearing in multiple sequels and a Hobbs spin-off, he had multiple solo hits like San Andreas and Rampage.
Johnson is seemingly tireless and is always developing multiple projects at once, with his DCEU superhero film Black Adam expected to launch a new franchise. Johnson's success is undeniable, and regardless of the quality of the movies, he always gives his total commitment to them. That said, a sameyness has crept into his work and a very specific formula has made itself clear. He always plays a certain type of character - hyper-capable men of action with a sense of humor who often wear the same t-shirt and khaki combination. According to a revealing Rolling Stone interview, Johnson - who is still feuding with Vin Diesel - wants to serve his audiences first and foremost, including not playing "darker" characters or having sad endings. This repetitive algorithm is showing signs of strain, however, and his odd avoidance of filmmakers with a distinctive voice is another issue.
Dwayne Johnson Has Become The Directorial Voice Of His Own Films
Both Jungle Cruise and Red Notice from 2021 met with streaming success but also received mixed reviews. The latter, in particular, was harshly critiqued for its utter lack of originality or flair, with the blockbuster being oddly flat despite a huge budget and three of the biggest stars in the world fronting it. Johnson's desire to hit the same beats over and over has seen him become the main creative voice of his filmography over the last decade, which is one reason his work is starting to blend.
Outside of occasional exceptions like Michael Bay movie Pain & Gain, the star tends to work with filmmakers who are safe hands on big-budget projects. He's worked multiple times with filmmakers like Brad Peyton or Rawson Marshall Thurber, who know how to pull out his natural star quality. His seeming unwillingness to test himself as a performer outside of a strict criteria will eventually stunt his growth as a performer though. The last time he took a big creative risk was 2006's Southland Tales from Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko). The film was a critical and commercial bomb, but it's since grown a cult following.
Johnson himself later commented to Indiewire on the film's infamous Cannes reception, stating “I took it in the gut." Maybe Southland Tales' - which featured a rare Johnson death scene - reception and the years he spent in the wilderness afterward are part of the reason he sticks with his self-crafted movie recipe, but that's short-sighted. Even at the height of their fame, stars like Schwarzenegger or Stallone worked with auteur filmmakers like James Cameron, Walter Hill or Paul Verhoeven and tried to push themselves. Inevitably, Johnson's run of hits will run dry, and he'll have to reinvent himself. By staying with what he knows every single time, audiences will only think him capable of playing a certain kind of role. Dwayne Johnson mixing his blockbusters with the occasional appearance in a quirkier project - maybe something from Wes Anderson or Richard Linklater, for example - might help him flex different muscles when his formula starts to misfire. For now, the t-shirt and khakis remain.