Dwayne Johnson is reportedly in talks to return as the Scorpion King

It looks like the Scorpion King might be resurrected and… Dwayne Johnson he could return to the role that helped kickstart his film career. According to a new report from scooper @MyTimeToShineH, “The Rock is in talks to return as the Scorpion King.”

This would mark a full-circle moment for Johnson, who first played the character of Mathayus The mummy returns in 2001. That brief but memorable appearance introduced fans to the warrior-turned-king, paving the way for his 2002 spin-off film The Scorpion King.

Although not a critical success, the film grossed nearly $179 million worldwide on a $60 million budget, proving that Johnson had serious star power beyond the wrestling ring.

There was initially talk of a sequel starring Johnson, but the project stalled. Instead, the franchise continued with a series of direct-to-video releases such as The Scorpion King 2: Rise of a Warrior (hero Michael Copón), The Scorpion King 3: Battle for Redemption AND The Scorpion King 4: In Search of Power (both protagonists Victor Webster) and finally The Scorpion King: The Book of Souls in 2018 with Zach McGowan. None of these captured the same energy or impact as Johnson’s original portrait.

In 2020, word spread that Johnson would produce a reboot, a modern retelling of the story of The Scorpion King. Now, if this new report is accurate, it appears that this time he might not only be behind the camera, but also back in the armor.

Director Stephen Sommerswho helmed The mummy returnshe once considered casting Johnson in the role that changed his life.

“He was amazing. I had never heard of that guy, but then they sent me some footage of him, and he was just perfect,” Sommers recalled. “I had to shoot so quickly with him because he flew to Marrakesh on Wednesday and was supposed to be in Detroit on Saturday for a WWE thing.”

“But man, was he a soldier? As soon as the studio saw the dailies, the president of Universal called me and said, ‘You have to write a movie for him.’ Somehow, over the course of the next week, I came up with this idea that became the movie The Scorpion King.”

Johnson’s return in The Scorpion King would come at an interesting time in his career. After some box office failures, he worked to redefine himself with more serious and dramatic roles, including his performance in The destructive machine. But he hasn’t completely moved away from action blockbusters either, with another Jumanji sequel set to be filmed next year.

With the recent rumors that The Mummy 4 it may also be in development with Brendan Fraserit’s possible that Universal is looking to revive the entire Mummy cinematic universe, something fans would no doubt appreciate.

If Johnson actually returns as Mathayus, it could reignite one of the most nostalgic and fun adventure franchises of the early 2000s. It might be fun to see The Rock back in the desert in warrior mode.