Four WWE Stars Who Failed To Eclipse Dwayne Johnson As Hollywood Star

It’s hard to argue that Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest celebrities today.

Prior to becoming a massive Hollywood star, Johnson was already a household name one of the biggest professional wrestling stars during the late-90s and early-2000s.

Then known as “The Rock”, Johnson shot to stardom thanks to his athletic gifts and his unparalleled charisma.

For years, Johnson captivated audiences and easily became one of the biggest stars in an era that many consider the golden age of WWE.

But as big as a star Johnson already was, nobody could have predicted that he would become an even bigger celebrity once he completely transitioned into the silver screen.

With over 40 film credits to his name, Johnson is already one of the highest-grossing movie stars today, with his films making over $3.5 billion in the US and over $10.5 billion worldwide as of 2019.

Johnson’s success has inspired many other former WWE stars to take the same path. While some have been successful in their own right, no one has quite reached the level of stardom that Johnson has.

Here are four other wrestlers who have followed in Dwayne Johnson’s footsteps into Hollywood.

Dave “Batista” Bautista

Next to Johnson, perhaps the former WWE star to find the most success in Hollywood is Dave Bautista, or simply “Batista” back in his WWE days.

Like Johnson, Bautista was at one point one of the biggest names in WWE and was a multiple-time world champion with feuds against the likes of Triple H, Randy Orton, The Undertaker, John Cena, and many others.

After getting bit parts on smaller projects, Bautista finally caught his big break, being cast as Drax the Destroyer on the widely successful Marvel film franchise Guardians of the Galaxy.

Since then, Bautista has starred in box office hits such as Avengers: Infinity War, Avengers: End Game, Blade Runner 2049, and others.

John Cena

Speaking of John Cena, “The Doctor of Thuganomics” was the unquestionable face of the WWE for a good stretch during the late 2000’s to the mid 2010’s.

In fact, Cena can be easily considered as one of the industry’s biggest stars. However, he has made his transition to the big screen.

Cena’s first starring role was on the WWE Films-produced action movie The Marine, and he has since starred in bigger projects such as Trainwreck and Bumblebee.

Cena also joined the Fast and Furious franchise and is part of the main cast of the upcoming installment entitled F9.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin

Perhaps one of the biggest stars in WWE history, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin ushered in a new era for WWE and revolutionized professional wrestling as we know it today.

Austin was the truck-driving, beer-swilling, foul-mouthed anti-hero that everyone loved, and his character helped bring WWE to new heights.

While Austin’s WWE in-ring career was relatively short, his impact has lived on until today. Nowadays, he can be seen--or heard--on his widely-successful podcast.

He has also dabbled in acting, appearing in movies such as The Longest Yard, The Condemned, The Expendables, and Grown Ups 2. Still, Austin’s silver screen resumé is nowhere near that of his former rival Johnson.

Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan is without question the most influential WWE star on this list. He helped skyrocket WWE (then known as WWF) into mainstream popularity and opened the door for the other names on this list.

Hogan’s popularity in the squared-circle also translated into opportunities on the big screen, as he appeared in films such as Rocky III, No Holds Barred, Thunder in Paradise, and many others.

As big a star as Hogan was in his day, his movie celebrity status still pales in comparison to that of his one-time Wrestlemania opponent Johnson.