Following a strong end to 2022, Ricky Starks is currently one of the hottest stars in AEW. The former FTW Champion has moved up the card since turning babyface, challenging MJF for the AEW World Championship at the back end of 2022.
His potential doesn’t end inside the squared circle, however, as Starks has revealed a five-year plan that includes making money, being on top of the wrestling world, and potentially appearing in a DC or Marvel movie.
In a recent interview with GV Wire, Starks said:
“I see myself making a lot of money. I see myself on top of the wrestling world, and I see myself, you know, doing some movies here and there. Maybe some DC or Marvel movies. Who knows?”
John Cena, The Rock And Batista Have Taken Hollywood By Storm
Starks is far from the first wrestler to make the jump from the ring to the silver screen. Roddy Piper starred in several movies in the 1980s, most notably cult classic They Live, and Hulk Hogan appeared in a number of films where he was given the starring role, including No Holds Barred, Suburban Commando and Mr. Nanny.
Since then, WWE megastars John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have both been involved in DC Extended Universe productions, with Johnson playing the role of Black Adam in the namesake movie and Cena portraying Peacemaker in “The Suicide Squad” before the character was given a spin-off television series.
Pro wrestlers have been able to gain major acting roles due to Cena and Johnson’s success, and Dave Bautista is one particular wrestler who benefitted after he rose to prominence by playing the role of Drax the Destroyer in Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” in 2014, having previously appeared as an antagonist in the James Bond franchise. Starks, too, could gain from this path and could follow in the footsteps of wrestlers-turned-actors like Cena and Johnson.
With his promo style, mannerisms and movement having been compared by some to Dwayne Johnson in his early career, could Starks following in the footsteps of The Great One both inside the squared circle and on the silver screen?