Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson seems to have his meaty fingers in just about every blockbuster movie pie there is, these days. He’s about to get his own Fast and the Furious spinoff with Jason Statham; he’s joining the DC movie universe as Black Adam; and he’s even owning the comedy genre with the anticipated release of Baywatch this month.
However, one franchise under Johnson’s belt that hasn’t been a major success is G.I. Joe, the adaptation of the popular military-inspired toy line, cartoon, and comic book franchise. Johnson joined the G.I. Joe franchise in the 2013 sequel, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, which earned less money domestically, but earned more than its predecessor internationally, thanks to stars like Johnson and Bruce Willis taking the lead. Now, as The Rock does his press tours for Baywatch, he’s sharing his thoughts on where the G.I. Joe franchise needs to go next (via Cinemablend):
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“We have talked with Paramount. … They have a big writers’ room with Transformers. With G.I. Joe, too. But the world of G.I. Joe, what’s exciting about that is, it’s just an opportunity to build out. Now, we’ve made two G.I. Joes. What they can do is phenomenal, right? When you think about M.A.S.K., and you think about G.I. Joe, and you think about the world that they can build out. I think, if they are interested in bringing Roadblock back, great, let’s talk about it. But I wish them the best of luck. I loved working in that movie and the franchise, and if I didn’t do it again, I’m great with them, and I wish them the best of luck. But I do hope they build it out really nicely, and I think they can.”
Ever the professional, that’s basically Rock-speak for “I have better things to do with my time now, thanks.” Like any major star, he’s not opposed to taking the dump truck full of money to return and help carry the franchise, but the potential to “build it out” basically means they can (should?) do other stories… that don’t require Roadblock. Personally, we vote for that G.I. Joe/Transformers crossover…
You can see Johnson next when Baywatch hits theaters on May 25th. Who knows when (if?) we’ll see another G.I. Joe movie.