Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam with Apocalypse in Marvel Comics

Dark new fan art imagines Dwayne Johnson as a powerful MCU villain amid casting rumors for Marvel Studios’ upcoming X-Men reboot. Marvel Studios chief Kevin Feige teased the introduction of mutants and the X-Men into the MCU back in 2019, shortly after Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, and while news regarding the MCU’s X-Men reboot has been scarce, new updates have raised excitement for the upcoming movie. With writer Michael Lesslie now on board, and Deadpool & Wolverine set to revisit Fox’s X-Men franchise in Phase 5, fan-casts and rumors for Marvel Studios X-Men reboot have begun to emerge.

While casting choices for the X-Men team haven’t been revealed, rumors have been circulating about which iconic Marvel Comics villains could appear in the upcoming reboot. Some of this speculation has cast Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Apocalypse, and this surprising casting has now been imagined in dark fan art shared by mikeposters.

The art does a solid job at depicting Dwayne Johnson as Apocalypse, delivering a more comic-accurate version of the villain to Oscar Isaac’s character in 2016’s X-Men: Apocalypse. Apocalypse could pose a major threat in the MCU’s X-Men reboot, but Johnson may be an unorthodox casting choice.

Why Dwayne Johnson Probably Won’t Be The MCU’s Apocalypse

Dwayne Johnson as Black Adam in front of an explosion in Black Adam

Dwayne Johnson may have the physical stature, size, and musculature perfect for bringing a more intimidating version of Apocalypse into live-action, but it’s far more likely that someone else will assume this role. En Sabah Nur, a.k.a. Apocalypse, made his Marvel Comics debut in 1986’s X-Factor #5, introduced as the Ancient Egyptian mutant who forged a huge sphere of influence, had dealings with Kang the Conqueror variant Rama-Tut, and used Celestial technology to enhance his own abilities. This would be a powerful role for Dwayne Johnson in the MCU, but the actor’s recent superhero experiences may pose an issue.

Dwayne Johnson has become a huge action, comedy, and adventure star since making his feature film debut in 2001’s The Mummy Returns. Johnsonn has since received huge acclaim for his performances in Moana, Jungle Cruise, and the Fast & Furious franchise, but his recent role in 2022’s Black Adam, set in the DC Extended Universe, constituted an unfortunate low-point in his career. As Johnson’s first superhero movie, Black Adam’s disappointing performance may have turned off other major studios from casting the actor in more high-profile superpowered roles, suggesting Apocalypse may not be on the cards for Dwayne Johnson.

Prior to Black Adam’s release, Dwayne Johnson suggested the movie could kick-start a new shared universe for DC, following major changes at Warner Bros. and DC Studios. These comments evidently came to nothing, which may have diminished the impact of Dwayne Johnson’s own impact among audiences. As one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, Dwayne Johnson would be a huge draw for Marvel Studios, and there’s a chance that he could bring power, sophistication, and strength to Apocalypse, should he be cast in Marvel Studios’ X-Men reboot, so it’s possible this could come to fruition, but this does seem wholly unlikely.