Kevin Hart Reveals The Fate Of Jumanji 4
Kevin Hart reveals he and Dwayne Johnson are returning for Jumanji 4!
The once sure fate of Jumanji 4 has withered in recent months, but Kevin Hart revealed that he and Dwayne Johnson are preparing to roll the dice on the franchise again. Hart spoke to Variety on the Oscars red carpet, teasing what his next team-up with Johnson may be. On the list was Jumanji 4 and a mystery project the duo is planning to be their ultimate outing together.
Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart led Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in 2017 alongside Karen Gillan and Jack Black. The revival of the 1995 Robin Williams film saw Jumanji evolve from a board game into a video game. Instead of bringing the dangers of Jumanji to the real world, the game brought a group of teenagers to the depths of its mythical jungle.
The success of Welcome to the Jungle spawned another successful sequel in 2019, leaving most to believe that Jumanji 4 was a sure bet. Then, something funny happened. While the film industry was derailed in 2020 by the COVID-19 pandemic, Dwayne Johnson diverted his time to the DC Universe.
Almost by sheer willpower, Dwayne Johnson positioned himself at the center of the DCU with Black Adam. Then, another funny thing happened. Leadership changes at DC led to a reimagined future for the franchise, one without Johnson or Black Adam. After much resistance, Johnson admitted his DC exit at the Oscars, and now that Black Adam is off his slate, Johnson has more room for Jumanji 4.
Dwayne Johnson is still busy. He has sequels to Red Notice, San Andreas, and Jungle Cruise in the works, along with reboots of Doc Savage and Big Trouble in Little China, and Amazon’s Red Notice is set to kick off a new Christmas franchise this December. But Johnson and Hart are a beloved (and bankable) onscreen duo, and according to Hart, they want to team up again soon. In a market dominated by franchises, Jumanji 4 seems to be the natural next step.
Some reports have indicated that Johnson wants to expand the Jumanji universe by incorporating a reboot of 2005’s Zathura: A Space Adventure. From The Mandalorian creator Jon Favreau, Zathura sent a group of kids to space via a magical board game. Given the film’s premise, the Dwayne Johnson reboot treatment could make an epic addition to the universe beyond Jumanji 4.
The original Jumanji starred a young Kirsten Dunst, who is rumored to return to that role in Jumanji 4. The Dwayne Johnson Jumanji films have always been described as sequels to the original rather than reboots, but bringing back Dunst would drive that idea home. How she might tie into the sequel is still under wraps.
As for the rest of the Jumanji cast, there is plenty on the way from them all. Kevin Hart will be seen next in the Las Vegas comedy Back on the Strip this April, just weeks after Jack Black appears as the villainous Bowser in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In May, Karen Gillan will suit up once again as Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
The Jumanji crew is a busy one, but there is no denying that they are magic on screen together. The latest word from Kevin Hart is a promising update on Jumanji 4, and fans will likely be back in the jungle before they know it.
