Johnson Must Take More Risks Following Black Adam
Johnson can easily bounce back from Black Adam. He’s one of the hardest-working men in show business, and the disappointing financial performance of one movie won’t fell him. That said, he should use the film’s reception as a learning experience. If viewers are weary of him portraying the same stock characters, there’s little stopping him from branching out. One way to do that is to tackle a genre he typically avoids. A Dwayne Johnson horror – not counting Doom of course – or romantic comedy would certainly raise some eyebrows, and they wouldn’t have the financial burden that large-scale blockbusters come with. This would allow him to stretch into new territory without having to reinvent himself. The Rock has spoken before of feeling burned by the reception to 2006’s Southland Tales by Richard Kelly and has largely sworn off such experimental projects since. Now might be a good time to reconsider, as pairing with filmmakers like Darren Aronofsky or Ari Aster could yield some intriguing results. Black Adam’s disappointment finds Johnson at an interesting career crossroads. It appears a Hobbs & Shaw sequel isn’t happening and his DCU/ Black Adam plans are on shaky ground; if there was ever a time to mix up the Dwayne Johnson movie formula, it’s now.
