Dwayne Johnson, like Vin Diesel, has always seemed like a guy that would be perfect for a superhero movie. The problem with both of them, though, is that it’s hard to pinpoint exactly which superhero they should play. Both of them have a very specific look and persona, and any character would have to match that perfectly or else the casting would be a waste. But Vin Diesel is playing a talking tree in Guardians Of The Galaxy now, so maybe these guys can just play whoever they want.
As for Johnson, he recently sat down with Total Film to talk about his upcoming Hercules, and the interviewer took the opportunity to try and trick him into admitting whether or not he’s going to play a DC superhero at some point. Johnson chose not to take the bait at first, preferring instead to choose his words extremely carefully and explain why it’s been so hard for him and DC to find the right part. He says it’s because of the “good baggage” that he brings to a movie, which does seem to suggest that it’s all about his persona fitting the character rather than his acting ability or whatever.
After a minute or so of brow furrowing and chin stroking, however, Johnson gives in and reveals that he’s going to announce which DC character he is going to be play “very soon.” All he says is that it’s someone “with the power of Superman” and that “he can throw down,” but he then gives a significantly larger hint than he probably intended by wrapping up his answer with “just say the word.” This is almost certainly a nod to Shazam (formerly known as Captain Marvel), a superhero who gains his power by shouting the word “Shazam” and can absolutely “throw down” with Superman.
If Johnson is really playing Shazam, it would add even further credence to that leaked list of DC’s upcoming superhero movies from back in June, which listed a solo Shazam movie as the studio’s next project after May 2016’s Batman V. Superman: Dawn Of Franchise. Of course, the list also claims that a Wonder Woman movie is in the works for 2017, and we all know that will never happen.