Dwayne Johnson Would Like To Replace Daniel Craig as James Bond
Dwayne Johnson has played a part in plenty of blockbuster releases over the years. Now he has his sights set on landing one of the most iconic film roles of all time.
The Jungle Cruise actor told Esquire that he wants to put his name in the running to play James Bond for the next entry to the 007 franchise. He made the announcement shortly after Daniel Craig portrayed the famous character for the final time in this year's No Time To Die.
Speculation is at an all-time high as publications such as Vogue and Men's Health have positioned certain actors as being more or less worthy of the job. Frontrunners include the likes of Richard Madden, Idris Elba and even Tom Holland.
They're all fantastic choices, of course. But The Rock has something few other actors possess: a family tie to the historic franchise.
Johnson told Esquire that his grandfather, professional wrestler Peter Maivia, played a villain in the franchise's 1967 release You Only Live Twice. That means he faced off against Sean Connery, who played the infamous spy in many of the earliest Bond movies.
His grandpa may have played a villain, but The Rock has loftier ambitions.
"I would like to follow in his footsteps and be the next Bond," he explained. "I don't want to be a villain. You've gotta be Bond."
The Rock has plenty of experience in action movies, the least of which being his involvement with the Fast and Furious franchise. He is also set to star in DC's Black Adam, which is expected to debut next year.
He called the role of the iconic anti-hero a once-in-a-lifetime casting in a teaser, which you can check out below.
By the sound of it, The Rock would like to add a second once-in-a-lifetime role to the mix, and he does have a resume that qualifies him to play James Bond now that Craig is stepping down.
Craig has been playing the timeless spy since he took up the mantle for Casino Royale in 2006. However, he's been candid about wanting to give up the title for a couple years now, according to Newsweek.
The actor sparked some controversy earlier this year when he implied that he'd like to see another white man become Bond instead of a woman or a person of color.
"There should simply be better parts for women and actors of color," he said when asked about diversifying the 007 franchise. "Why should a woman play James Bond when there should be a part just as good as James Bond, but for a woman?"