Disney May Replace Will Smith with Dwayne Johnson in Iconic Aladdin’ Role

Fans of the Aladdin franchise may witness a major change in an upcoming film adaptation. As Will Smith loses movie after movie, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson may be taking over one of Smith’s more recent and iconic roles.

For more than a quarter century, Will Smith has been one of the most recognized actors in the business, but he was thrust into the limelight and subjected to harsh criticism after an odd occurrence at the Oscars earlier this year that stunned fans and Hollywood colleagues alike.

After Chris Rock made a lewd remark about Will Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, the actor got up from his chair and went on stage to deliver a slap to Rock. He walked off stage and was visibly yelling at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out your f***in’ mouth.”

Smith won the Academy Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his performance as Richard Williams in King Richard (2021), which was only a short time after the incident occurred. Smith issued an apology and resigned from the Academy after receiving much flak.

Smith made his Disney debut in Aladdin (2019), which grossed over $1 billion worldwide at the box office. Though Smith was a big win for Disney, there appears to be a shift in his iconic Genie character in the future Aladdin sequel.

Several outlets are reporting that Dwayne Johnson is being considered for the part of Genie in a potential sequel. For 30 years, Genie, who was portrayed by Robin Williams in the animated film, has been one of Disney’s most beloved characters.

Since the incident, a number of Smith’s projects have been canceled or delayed, and Disney has yet to provide an official statement regarding whether he will remain in the part or if reports of a replacement are true.

Smith is the narrator of MEN IN BLACK: Alien Attack at Universal Orlando. Many fans, however, have noted that the attraction “just isn’t the same” since the Oscars controversy.

Dwayne Johnson isn’t a stranger to Disney movies. He recently played the role of skipper Frank Wolff in Jungle Cruise (2021). Johnson was also the voice of Maui in Moana (2016).