The Rock set for shock movie role nobody expected and fans have already made their minds up

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson is set to appear in the lead role in a new movie and the response from fans has been mixed to say the least.

The WWE icon and Hollywood A-Lister has been tapped to star in a new picture directed by the inimitable Martin Scorsese.

Emily Blunt and serial Scorsese collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio are also set to feature in the movie, which is being billed as a 'Goodfellas meets The Departed' crime drama, as reported by Deadline.

The untitled flick is to be set in the 1960s and 1970s, telling the tale of a mob boss warring for control of organised crime on the Hawaiian islands. The Rock has roots in Hawaii and it's been reported that he and Blunt, with whom he's worked previously, took the idea to Scorsese.

Despite the director's track record and an impressive cast, the reaction to Johnson's involvement hasn't been entirely welcomed by fans.

It's fair to say the reaction on X, formerly Twitter, has been somewhat frosty.

"That makes a change from all the movies where he plays The Rock," posted one fan.

Johnson's range has been a favourite joke for Hollywood critics since he moved into the movies from WWE and this particular challenge has tickled that nerve.

The Rock is hardly a dud, having starred in some heavyweight pictures including The Scorpion King, Tooth Fairy and the Fast & Furious franchise, but there's no denying this new outing would be a different challenge.

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"That’s going to be tough with someone with zero range. He’s going to play a crime boss in the vein of The Rock," posted one X user.

However, another at least gave the legendary director a chance of success, posting that "If Scorsese can make The Rock a good actor, he’s officially replaced Tarantino as my GOAT."

"The Rock playing a crime boss?? A character with some depth potentially?? That will be a first," joked another fan, taking the rather bold view that a mob boss might be too much of a character for Johnson to manage.

While another X user made an astute and brutal observation that seems to capture the entire reaction in just four words: "Scorsese is very brave."