Dwayne Johnson has said he'd like to play the next James Bond after revealing his surprising family connection to the movie franchise.
The James Bond world is in limbo at the moment after Daniel Craig handed back his license to kill with the release of his final 007 film No Time To Die. His departure means one of the most sought-after roles in the movie business up for grabs - and there's plenty lining up to fill the role.
The Red Notice star's name is the latest to be linked to MI6's most-famous agent. It comes after Henry Cavill said he'd be interested in becoming the next James Bond.
Which James Bond movie was Dwayne Johnson's grandfather in?
Speaking to Esquire in November 2021, Dwayne Johnson, 49, said his grandfather played a Bond villain. Peter Fanene Maivia appeared as a henchman to Mr. Osato in You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery's fifth Bond movie.
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The Rock then said he'd like to follow in his grandfather's footsteps. Well, sort of, he wants to defect to the good side and play James Bond.
"Very very cool," he said of his grandfather's appearance in the film. "And I would like to follow in his footsteps and be the next Bond," he told Esquire. "[Don't] want to be a villain. Gotta be Bond."
Who was Dwayne Johnson's grandfather?
Peter Fanene Maivia was a Samoan-American professional wrestler and maternal grandfather to Dwayne Johnson (clearly Johnson has already followed in his grandfather's footsteps).
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Mavia was born in April 1937 in American Samoa and died in Hawaii in June 1982. He was part of the famous Samoan professional wrestling family, the Anoa'i family.
Unlike his grandson though, You Only Live Twice was the only movie Mavia ever appeared in.
The Rock is the first non-British actor to be linked to the role; traditionally Bond has always been played by a British actor and the rest of the rumoured names linked to the role are all Brits.
While fans and the film's producers alike are keen to see some diversity in the franchise, the Broccoli's could decided that having an American play the next James Bond would be a step too far, for now. We've already seen Craig's reaction to Hugh Jackman (an Australian) stepping into the role - "over my dead body," joked the actor.
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Only the Broccoli's know for sure who the next James Bond will be, or (spoiler alert) whether there will even be another James Bond after the way No Time To Die ended ended.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: TV and Film, Dwayne Johnson, James Bond