The underwater-peril actioner – featuring Statham and a giant prehistoric shark – has debuted in the UK with a sensational £3.65m.
The answer provided by The Meg is an emphatic no.
His last outing as a protagonist was 2016’s Mechanic: Resurrection, which grossed £1.37m in total in UK cinemas.
The Meg faced competition on its date from commercially lacklustre fare such as young adult dystopian-future sci-fi The Darkest Minds and horror sequel Unfriended: Dark Web.