Professional wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson, one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, has had movies that have pulled in billions of dollars over the years at the box office. He recently faced backlash online over his look in the trailer of his upcoming Disney live-action movie, Moana. The film is a remake of the animated franchise of the same name, as per Variety.
The 53-year-old Dwayne Johnson, who stars as Maui in Disney’s live-action film Moana, which is scheduled to be released on July 10, 2026, had fans mocking and making fun of his new look in the film with long curly hair. Johnson began facing backlash regarding his look in the upcoming film after the trailer was launched on March 24, 2026.
As per Variety, Johnson, who has a massive global fanbase and 390 million followers on Instagram, faced backlash, particularly for his look with long curly hair. The look surprised his fans and netizens, but not in a positive manner.
Dwayne Johnson, whose last film was Benny Safdie’s sports drama, The Smashing Machine, which was released in October 2025, has addressed the backlash. This comes following the release of the upcoming movie’s trailer. The Black Adam star, in a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, revealed that it took two and a half hours every day to get his makeup done. However, Dwayne addressed the backlash and said:
“The wig was very crucial and important because, in holding onto the integrity of the character from the animated version, Maui was very proud of his hair. And he had beautiful hair, beautiful demigod hair.”
Johnson further added:
“There were a handful of iterations that we were looking to apply very early. What is the most cost-effective? What’s the most time-effective? But ultimately, we have to go back to the main thing, which is, what’s the best thing for the film and the audience’s experience?”
Internet reacts to Dwayne Johnson’s new look in the upcoming live-action Moana
Following Dwayne Johnson’s comment to Entertainment Weekly regarding his look, specifically his long curly hair in the live-action Moana, netizens took to X (formerly Twitter). They shared their opinion on the matter. Check out some of the netizen reactions below:
“I don’t see how this crusty ass wig was crucial. They should have just left him bald. Anything would have been better than this atrocity.” wrote an X user
“Seeing The Rock with a full head of hair is going to be a trip. Love that he’s taking the Maui look seriously!” written by an X user
“I think without any doubt, it’s the worst wig I’ve ever seen in a movie by a lot. Are they blind? They should add some CGI and try to see if that helps.” commented an X user
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Edited by Ritika Pal