These days, Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest stars in Hollywood today, but there was a time when that wasn't the case. Really, it was 2011's Fast Five which put "The Rock" on the map and established him as someone who is capable of essentially saving any franchise on the planet.
During a recent Q&A, Johnson looked back on his career and revealed that he missed out on a role he desperately wanted at the time: Jack Reacher. At 6'5" and 260lb, he was a pretty perfect fit for the character (who is 6'4" and 280lb), and arguably a better choice than eventual star Tom Cruise.
"Now, this was ten years ago, and I was in a much different place, I recognize that," Johnson said, "Tom was the biggest movie star in the world, and I was not. I got the call saying 'Hey, you didn't get the role' Look, I didn't even know if I had a shot for it, but the people around me at that time made me think that I did. I felt like I did, I felt like 'Why not me?'"
"Because [Reacher] was an established character, an IP that was well known and beloved around the world, that I wouldn't have had the creative space to do what I wanted with the character," he continued, explaining why not landing the role was perhaps the best thing that happened to him as an actor. "I look back in gratitude that I didn't get Jack Reacher."
It's certainly interesting to think what might have been had Johnson landed the role, and while Tom Cruise starred in two Jack Reacher movies, a series starring the character is now coming to Amazon. That won't feature the Hobbs & Shaw star, but there's been no word on casting as of yet.
Do you think Johnson would be a good pick for Jack Reacher?