Fortnite fans love a good mystery. The nature of the game means that new characters, many from classic pop culture properties, are constantly being added to the game. Trying to figure out what's next has led fans to speculate about the man behind a new character. The Foundation was introduced in Season Six's opening in cinematic and in game event -- and some fans believe he's being voiced by movie star (and potential presidential candidate) Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson.
The fan theory that Johnson is providing the Foundation's voice is based on a cryptic Instagram post. On the eve of Season Six's March 17 launch, Johnson posted a video where he dropped what sounded like references to Fortnite. He mentioned the importance of the March 16 date, probably not referencing old rival Stone Cold Steve Austin, and talking about connective tissue between "that world" and his.
The video ended with Johnson saying that work he's been involved with is "all done to strengthen and evolve and grow the power and the force known as...The Foundation." He also did the trademark eyebrow raise he punctuated his wrestling promos with, something fans have interpreted as a knowing wink. Epic Games Chief Creative Officer Donald Mustard liked the video, which helped drive fan speculation.
Reddit user matteoiceman connected the dots. Not only did Johnson seem to be making Fortnite references in his video, but The Foundation's armor also resembles the Rock's distinctive tribal tattoos, which honor his Samoan heritage. Other fans pointed out the similar definitions of the words "rock" and "foundation."
More tenuous connections have been made between Johnson's work on Disney properties (like Jungle Cruise and Moana) and the fact that the Russo Brothers directed a Fortnite cinematic for "Zero Crisis." This featured crossover characters from the God of War and Alien franchises. Eurogamer added further fuel to the fire by pointing out out that the Foundation's voice files are stored labeled "DJ" in the game's code.
Johnson isn't the only suspect when it comes to the Foundation's casting; actor Kiefer Sutherland has been pointed out as a possible suspect. The Game Awards' mastermind Geoff Keighley asked Sutherland, who voiced Big Boss in Metal Gear Solid V, if he was the one playing The Foundation, and Sutherland didn't respond.
Johnson teased his involvement in Fortnite months ago. One Twitter user pointed out the resemblance between Young Rock's Macy's Day Parade balloon and a Fortnite skin, prompting others to imagine a Rock skin in response. Johnson replied to the original tweet, saying "Way ahead of you" and added a winking emoji, possibly because he didn't have one for raising his eyebrow.
A Young Rock skin would be an odd addition to most shooters, though it would fit right in with Fortnite's "everything including the kitchen sink" approach to pop culture crossovers. A skin of Johnson sporting the '90s wrestler look that made him a meme, complete with the obligatory fanny pack, wouldn't be out of place when characters from Family Guy and actual streamers are fighting to the (colorful) death.
Johnson voicing a Fortnite character would be a huge deal. His near-universal popularity combined with Fortnite's continued success like a marriage made in battle royale heaven. No matter when and how he ultimately appears in the game, the biggest shock may be that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hasn't shown up already.