When Marvel Studios first set out to bring its comic book dreams to life, nailing the essence of the original stories was priority number one. But right behind that? Finding stars who could rock those roles like they were born for them. Over time, the MCU has made some iconic casting choices, with actors practically becoming their characters. The latest buzz suggests that Dwayne Johnson might be stepping into the Marvel ring. But when it comes to adapting Marvel Comics, fans can be a bit picky, and some are not sold on The Rock joining the squad.

Hollywood insider MyTimeToShineHello hopped on X to spill the beans that Marvel Studios is reportedly eyeing Dwayne Johnson for an upcoming MCU project to play Apocalypse. While there were not any juicy details about which project or how serious Marvel is, they did drop an AI-generated image of The Rock as Apocalypse—and that alone was enough to get fans doing a double-take and questioning the whole idea with some, however, welcoming the same with open arms.

Apocalypse, aka En Sabah Nur, is one of Marvel’s original supervillains who made life a nightmare for the original X-Factor team, the X-Men, and pretty much any spin-off squad that crossed his path. After merging with some fancy Celestial tech, he leveled up with a crazy range of superhuman powers, including immortality. Plus, with total control over his body’s molecules, this guy can shapeshift, and regenerate, and is a walking, talking, superpowered technopath.

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In the superhero universe, casting choices can keep fans up at night, and the MCU is no different when it comes to picking the perfect supervillain. The Rock's potential casting as one did not exactly get the warmest reception as fans were inherently polarized.

A few months back, the same industry insider fueled rumors that Dwayne Johnson was set to play the supervillain Apocalypse in an upcoming MCU chapter. With the MCU prepping for an X-Men reboot, he could either join that storyline or pop up as a variant in an Avengers movie. Fans were on board with the idea at first, but as the rumor mill started spinning again, opinions seemingly shifted.

Many fans thought The Rock could pull it off—if he kept his ego in check. Others were not sold on the casting at all. But plenty of fans also saw the potential and believed he would be a perfect fit. 

Since nothing has been confirmed, there is still a lot of skepticism. Most of the critics are not as much against the casting as they are unsure of how Johnson would actually bring Apocalypse to life. But since it is all just rumors for now, everyone is stuck waiting to see who will ultimately take on the role of Apocalypse in the MCU.

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What do you think of fans being polarized about Dwayne Johnson's MCU entry? Let us know in the comments below!