Did Disney Drop The Rock? Dwayne Johnson Faces a Number of Controversies

Both the end of 2022 and the first half or so of 2023 have not exactly been easy for Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The former WWE wrestler famously pivoted toward a career in Hollywood, where he would star in major cinematic blockbusters like Disney’s Moana, the Jumanji reboots, and several films within the Fast and Furious franchise. In 2020, he was ranked Number 1 in Forbes‘ list of highest-paid actors in Hollywood, having earned over $87.5 million at the time.

It wasn’t too long ago that the burly Samoan actor was on top of the world. Unfortunately, he seems to be on a sharp, heavy fall from grace. The actor has found himself at the center of two major studio controversies and a public feud with Zachary Levi over their crossover potential within the all-but defunct DC Extended Universe.

Now it’s out of the frying pan with Warner Bros. and into the fire with Disney. Has the major Hollywood studio dropped The Rock like… a rock? Here’s what we know.

Following the release of the tepidly-reviewed Black Adam at the end of 2022, details began to emerge concerning the behind-the-scenes drama that The Rock incited throughout various DCEU film productions. Several reports stated that Dwayne allegedly leaked false financial information to the press that suggested that Black Adam was more successful than it actually was. While the film wasn’t necessarily a box office failure, Dwayne’s leaks reportedly glossed over Black Adam’s status as a financial loss for WB.

His celebrity meddling didn’t stop there. I March 2023, fellow DCEU star Zachary Levi seemingly confirmed that The Rock had blocked any characters from Black Adam from making cameos in Shazam: Fury of the Gods. This was widely criticized as a vainglorious attempt by the actor to restructure the DCEU around Black Adam.

While already having been embroiled in one studio controversy, The Rock remains in hot water as the drama with Disney began surfacing.

As of May 2023, Dwayne Johnson has reportedly been removed from future Disney projects, including a new Pirates of the Caribbean film and a live-action Moana adaptation that already had fans groaning upon its announcement. The Rock has already headlined several Disney productions, including 2021’s Jungle Cruise. His latest career troubles come in the midst of a legal debacle that seems to be moving forward.