What Films Has Dwayne Johnson Been In?

Film Feature by Chris Olson

With the release of the new Bennie Safdie film, The Smashing Machine, it seems timely to take a look at the films Dwayne Johnson has been in.

To chart the filmography of Dwayne Johnson is to trace the trajectory of modern Hollywood stardom itself. From the moment the wrestler known as ‘The Rock’ stepped out of the ring and onto the silver screen, he has engineered a blockbuster career with the precision and brute force of a champion prizefighter. Unlike many who attempt the wrestling-to-acting transition, Johnson didn't merely secure roles; he manufactured franchises, becoming one of the world’s most bankable cinematic assets.

His first proper cinematic outing was a mere prologue: his appearance as the Scorpion King in 2001’s The Mummy Returns served as a springboard for the prequel, 2002’s The Scorpion King, which gave him his first leading role. While these sword-and-sandal actioners were enjoyable popcorn fodder, it was 2003’s The Rundown that truly demonstrated his screen charisma, blending impressive fight choreography with a wry, self-aware humour. He then moved through a period of standard action and drama remakes like Walking Tall (2004) and the video-game adaptation Doom (2005), before making a strategic, and surprisingly successful, detour.

In a move reminiscent of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s own career pivot, Johnson embraced the family film genre. He traded in his signature intensity for a gentle giant persona in films like The Game Plan (2007) and, perhaps most famously, Tooth Fairy (2010), in which he plays a hockey player sentenced to a week as a genuine, winged fairy. These films were clearly engineered to broaden his appeal, proving he could sell tickets without relying solely on explosions, a versatility he would later deploy to great effect.

The true inflection point in his career arrived in 2011 with Fast Five. The introduction of Johnson as DSS Agent Luke Hobbs injected vital, testosterone-fuelled energy into the Fast & Furious series, helping to elevate the franchise from street-racing crime capers to global, physics-defying behemoths. His formidable on-screen chemistry with Jason Statham was so potent it spawned its own successful spin-off, Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019), solidifying him as the ultimate franchise anchor.

From this point, his star power became its own genre. He anchored disaster spectacles like San Andreas (2015) and Skyscraper (2018), confirming his ability to carry massive-budget tentpole pictures entirely on his own colossal shoulders. Yet, Johnson’s shrewdest move was re-launching the Jumanji brand, first with Welcome to the Jungle (2017) and its 2019 sequel, The Next Level. Playing an avatar who is secretly a mild-mannered teenager, Johnson delivered a pitch-perfect comedic performance that showcased genuine acting chops beyond the brawn.

His work with Disney has also cemented his mainstream appeal; he voiced the demigod Maui in the animated sensation Moana (2016), demonstrating an unexpected talent for singing, and later took on the adventurer role alongside Emily Blunt in the theme-park adaptation Jungle Cruise (2021).

While his long-gestating passion project, the DC superhero film Black Adam (2022), didn’t quite deliver the seismic shift in the comic book movie landscape he had promised, it remains a testament to his ambition to conquer every corner of the box office. Johnson is constantly shifting gears, with his upcoming dramatic turn as MMA fighter Mark Kerr in the biopic The Smashing Machine suggesting the global superstar is determined to prove his heft extends far beyond the realm of the simple blockbuster. It’s a career built not on subtlety, but on sheer, indefatigable star power.