• News
  • Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles and Long Reads
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Flickering Myth Films
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on FlickeringMyth.com
    • Write for Flickering Myth

Flickering Myth

Film & TV News, Reviews and Features

  • Movies
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Long Reads
  • Trending
  • Franchises
    • Marvel
    • DC
    • Star Wars
    • Transformers
    • G.I. Joe
    • Masters of the Universe
    • Street Fighter
    • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    • Star Trek
    • The Lord of the Rings
    • James Bond
    • Alien
    • Predator
    • Doctor Who
    • Harry Potter

Dwayne Johnson reveals he was turned down for Jack Reacher

April 15, 2020 by EJ Moreno

During a Facebook live stream, Dwayne Johnson opened up about losing out on the chance to play the role of Jack Reacher, the protagonist of Lee Child’s bestselling book series, and a role that would ultimately go to Tom Cruise in 2012.

“In Hollywood, actors are kind of like in-a-box. There are actors that can vie for a particular role because it allows for them to have a certain look, skin color, size, etc. Fortunately, for me, there aren’t a lot of guys at all who look like me. So, all of my roles, from the beginning of my career, I’ve been a lucky son of a bitch that they’ve been created and designed for me — except Jack Reacher,” said Dwayne Johnson

Johnson would go on to explain, “Now, this was ten years ago, and I was in a much different place, I recognize that Tom was the biggest movie star in the world, and I was not.”

Johnson, the wrestler-turned-actor, felt in many ways he was perfect for the part. The physical attributes line-up as they share similar heights and weights, 6′ 4″, and 280 lbs. Also, Johnson said both him and the Jack Reacher role were ‘bad dudes.’

“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?'” he continued in his Facebook video.

SEE ALSO: Dwayne Johnson teases new characters for Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw sequel

Do you think Dwayne Johnson would have been a better vhoice for the role in Jack Reacher rather than Tom Cruise? Share your thoughts in the comments below, or by reaching out to us via social media @FlickeringMyth…

Filed Under: EJ Moreno, Movies, News Tagged With: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Reacher, Tom Cruise

About EJ Moreno

EJ Moreno is a film and television critic and entertainment writer who joined the pop culture website Flickering Myth in 2018 and now serves as the executive producer of Flickering Myth TV, a YouTube channel with over 27,000 subscribers. With over a decade of experience, he is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic who is also part of the Critics Choice Association and GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics.

FMTV – Watch Our Latest Video Here

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Nine Underrated Zombie Movies of the 2000s

Independence Day at 30: The Story Behind the Sci-Fi Blockbuster

The Essential Modern Day Swashbucklers

Seven Essential Robin Hood Movie Portrayals

Crocodile Dundee at 40: The Story Behind the Beloved Aussie Classic

Essential Gothic Horror Movies To Scare You Senseless

Highlander at 40: The Story Behind the Cult Classic Fantasy Adventure

Miami Connection: A Gloriously Insane Cult Treasure

Ten Essential Films of the 1950s

The Blockbuster Comic Book Movie Problem: The Box Office Cliff Edge

FEATURED POSTS:

Hasbro pushes start on its Street Fighter movie action figure line with first reveals

4K Ultra HD Review – X the Unknown (1956)

Movie Review – 72 Hours (2026)

Jem and the Holograms meet the Robots in Disguise for Hasbro’s latest Transformers Collaborative mash-up figure set

Red Sonja meets Barbarella in crossover series from Dynamite Entertainment

LEGO Star Trek: U.S.S. Enterprise NCC-1701 Bridge set launching in September

Movie Review – Sheep in the Box (2026)

Movie Review – Motor City (2026)

FLICKERING MYTH FILMS

   

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

10 Great Movies from the Once-Dominant Carolco Pictures

Sirens from Space: Species and Under The Skin

Crazy Cult 90s Horror Movies You May Have Missed

7 Bewitching B-Movie Horror Films to Cast a Spell on You

  • News
  • Reviews
  • Features
    • Articles and Long Reads
    • Interviews
    • Exclusives
  • Pop Culture
    • Movies
    • Television
    • Comic Books
    • Video Games
    • Toys & Collectibles
  • Flickering Myth Films
  • About
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on FlickeringMyth.com
    • Write for Flickering Myth

© Flickering Myth Limited. All rights reserved. The reproduction, modification, distribution, or republication of the content without permission is strictly prohibited. Movie titles, images, etc. are registered trademarks / copyright their respective rights holders. Read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. If you can read this, you don't need glasses.


 

Flickering MythLogo Header Menu
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Movies
  • Features and Long Reads
  • Trending
  • Franchises
    • Marvel
    • DC
    • Star Wars
    • Transformers
    • G.I. Joe
    • Masters of the Universe
    • Street Fighter
    • Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
    • Star Trek
    • The Lord of the Rings
    • James Bond
    • Alien
    • Predator
    • Doctor Who
    • Harry Potter
  • Flickering Myth Films
  • About Flickering Myth
    • About Flickering Myth
    • Advertise on Flickering Myth
    • Write for Flickering Myth