Stallone had Rocky and Rambo.
Arnie had Terminator, Conan, and Predator.
These are iconic roles in movies that even later generations watch as classics. Despite his financial success, Dwayne Johnson has no equivalent.
What's the closest thing he has? Is there any movie he's been in that people will still be talking about, referencing, quoting, and/or watching decades from now?
JUMANJI!
shareI'm partial to The Rundown myself.
shareYeah, people will forget easily the Robin Williams classic and vote for the shitty remake...
shareNo, the real and sad truth is: Dwayne Johnson was born too late.
In case you haven't noticed or aren't aware, Hollywood is dead. The star system as we know it has already come to an end, with names like Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Costner, Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, Harrison Ford etc. etc. all in more or less retirement.
Hollywood is much too busy right now teaching us "woke" lessons, a radical left-wing-dominated industry using their power not to entertain us but to push their agenda.
I'm all about equality, the same rights and opportunities for all races, genders etc., as everyone in their right mind should be, so don't try to grab me by the balls there in any way.
Bottom line is, actors these days don't have decades to evolve and enjoy a real lifelong career like James Stewart, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and the hundreds and hundreds more, in the last 90 years of Tinseltown.
So, sorry Dwayne, you're doing the best you can, and that's okay, but Arnie and Sly just had the luck of having been born 30 years earlier than you.
This is the exact point I've been making for years now. Dwayne may be popular now, but how can he be considered a great action star with such a mediocre set of films to his name? As you said yourself, those classics are what elevated Stallone and Schwarzenegger to the status of all-time Hollywood icons, rather than just a flavor of the month movie star. With such a long list of crappy films on his list, I honestly don't think it'd take too long before Dwayne finds himself doing direct-to-DVD work in just a couple years (only to then go back to being a full-time wrestler, probably).
In the end, The Rock's legacy will most certainly lie primarily in wrestling. In future years, Dwayne will probably be remembered as a WWE superstar who had a successful Hollywood run in the 2010's and half the 2020's, but whose talent and charm was on best display in the field of wrestling. Without that former WWE clout, he'd probably just be known as another Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude Van Damme in the future (a mediocre action star who had the muscles and charisma, but was ultimately destroyed by his mediocre acting and even more mediocre set of films).
For all the flack he gets about his personal life, Tom Cruise is probably the greatest action star working today.
You raise an excellent point. When I ask the question if he will be remembered by the next generation the way Sly and Arnie are, the answer is probably yes - but as The Rock from WWE, not as Luke Hobbs or whatever other forgettable character he's played.
shareI think the difference is that Johnson has never really been that concerned with becoming an action superstar; if anything, he goes against and makes fun of the action hero stereotype with movies like Central Intelligence and The Other Guys. Instead, he seems to prefer to makes movies that are fun and that his kids can enjoy. That's a cool dad.
shareThe thing is, Those guys have worked with some fantastic directors. The Rock on the other hand, has only made some super forgettable, generic action flicks. I honestly forget most of 'em after seeing 'em
I think he wants input on films he stars in nowadays. He's a producer of his films. Explains why he only plays characters that always seem invincible, indestructible & bulldoze through everything.
Heck, even Jason Statham has some iconic roles. Like The Transporter for example. And also, helps that he has a close working relationship with Guy Ritchie. Starring in a few fantastic films.
I don't think Johnson is trying to be a "superstar". He's making a living. Fortunately for him he's very good at it.
shareThe Scorpion King? I'd say that's one of his iconic roles.
Hobbs is clearly going to be one considering Fast 5 is considered one of the best of that movies series mainly because of his involvement.
Also he'll always be remembered as The Rock.
I think in the future that when you think Dwayne Johnson, you think The Rock.
When I ask the question if he will be remembered by the next generation the way Sly and Arnie are, the answer is probably yes - but as The Rock from WWE, not as Luke Hobbs or Scorpion King or whatever other character he's played in movies.