Jumanji 4is confirmed for release in 2026, which could be a blessing in disguise for two of its lead actors. The rebooted movie franchise stars The Rock and Jack Black, with Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan.Jumanji: The Next Levelwas a huge success, earning $800 million at the box office, and though it is not an immediate sequel to the original, theJumanjimovie timelineis straightforward. The team behind theJumanjimovie franchisehas already made some smart decisions that have helped to introduceJumanjito a new audience, and this delay could be one of them.
The rebooted franchise’s videogame plot allowed the cast ofJumanjito show off a wider range of skills than some viewers might expect. The core premise involves the main cast playing avatars for awkward teenage characters and later, their much older relatives.The cast ofJumanji: The Next Levelhad an even more challenging job, swapping characters several times. As The Rock and Jack Black have often been said to “play themselves” in many of their movies,Jumanjiallowed both actors to show off their talents, and both have regularly appeared in family movies ever since.
The Rock & Jack Black Have Been Prolific In Family Movies Since Jumanji: The Next Level
The Rock Has Already Appeared In A Spiritual Successor To Jumanji
The Rock and Jack Black now regularly star in family movies.The Rock appeared inRed NoticeandBlack Adam, and played Santa’s Head of Securityin the Christmas comedyRed One. The family comedySchool of Rockis still funny todayand is arguably Jack Black’s best movie, and sinceJumanji: The Next Level, he has voiced Bowser in theSuper Mario Bros. Movieand reprised his role as Po in theKung Fu Pandafranchise. This increased popularity has not always been positive though, as both actors are so distinctive that they now risk overexposure and typecasting.
The Rock’s character inJungle Cruiseshares a common detail with Jack Black’sJumanjicharacter: both are cartographers.
The Rock does not appear to have taken much of a break fromJumanji, appearing in a spiritual successor to the movie franchise just two years after the release ofJumanji: The Next Level.The Rock returned to the jungleto star as the steamboat captain and cartographer Frank Wolff in Disney’sJungle Cruise, which is based on a Disney theme park ride.Jungle Cruiseis not aJumanjifranchise movie, but it feels as though it could be, as the two share a jungle setting, greedy villains pursuing an artifact, and the risk of getting trapped.
The Rock’s Movies Since Jumanji: The Next Level Have Been A Mixed Bag (& Jack Black Could Follow)
Jack Black May Be Continuing Two More Of The Rock’s Movie Trends
WhileThe Rock’s popularity is often enough to draw positive reviews from audiences, his recent movies have not all been critically praised.Red Onereceived several bad reviewsand a 34% critical review on Rotten Tomatoes, andBlack Adamdidn’t fare much better with its 39% critical rating. This feels like a step down fromJumanji: The Next Level, with its 72% rating. Jack Black may now be sharing The Rock’s mediocre movie streak, with the highly anticipatedBorderlandsbeing critically panned, earning just a 10% Rotten Tomatoes rating, and early reviews for hisMinecraftmovie looking uninspiring.
Jumanji: The Special Abilities Of Every Game Character In The Next Level
Jumanji: The Next Level adds new strengths and weaknesses to the in-game avatars. Here’s what Dr. Bravestone, Ruby Roundhouse, and more can do.
Two of Jack Black’s upcoming movies continue a trend started by The Rock.Both The Rock and Jack Black are now in Christmas comedies, with Jack Black playing Satan in 2024’sDear Santa, in which a boy makes a spelling mistake on his Christmas list, summoning the wrong person for the holidays.Jack Black is also attached toAnaconda- a reboot of the 1997 horror, re-imagined as a comedy and still set in the jungle. The Rock is not, so far, set to appear inAnaconda, but hisFast & Furiousfranchise co-star Daniela Melchior has been cast.
Jumanji 4 Could Be The Bounce-Back The Rock And Jack Black Both Need
Jumanji 4 Could Be A Welcome Return For Jumanji Original Actors Too
Jack Black and The Rock appear to have fallen into a string of flops and reverted to type, in which the actors essentially play themselves once again, soJumanji 4could give them a welcome challenge.Part of what made the rebootedJumanjimovies so fun was seeing Jack Black play a boy-obsessed teenage girl, with The Rock playing her anxious and skinny friend. Both actors were surprisingly great in their roles and, while their avatarcharacters are returning toJumanji 4, they could be playing anybody, which could be another challenge and a bounce-back for both actors.
1995
52%
63%
2005
77%
51%
2017
87%
2019
72%
2026
-
Jumanji 4will need to be worth the wait, and while The Rock and Jack Black’sJumanjiavatars being inhabited by completely different characters will likely bring a new twist, the filmmakers could have an even better one.Jumanji 4could unite The Rock and Robin WilliamsJumanjimoviesby bringing back originalJumanjimovie characters. This could involve Judy and Peter playing theJumanjivideo game either by accident or to rescue a different character, orJumanji 4could bring back the “hunter from the darkest wild,” the villainous Van Pelt. A Van Pelt vs The Rock battle might just be the epic scene thatJumanji 4needs.
Jumanji 4
Jumanji 4 is the sequel to Jumanji: The Next Level, continuing the adventurous saga of the characters trapped in a video game world.
