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Credit: NetflixDwayne “The Rock” Johnson is quite possibly one of the most well-known stars in Hollywood across the board. From getting his start wrestling for the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) to taking on the role of the Scorpion King in the iconic 1999 The Mummy to learning that family is everything in the Fast & Furious franchise to now being a go-to guy for Disney films, Dwayne Johnson has had an expansive and impressive (or confusing) time in Hollywood.
After the semi-successful Jumanji remakes and the less-successful Jungle Cruise adaptation, The Rock tried to make a comeback in the WWE scene. After years of teases and “will he won’t he?” appearances on various wrestling specials and a hyped-up feud with other pro-wrestler turned Hollywood star John Cena, it was announced last month that he would be joining the board of directors of the TKO Group, or the parent company of the WWE. In addition, the iconic wrestler stepped back into the ring earlier this week in a match against his cousin, Roman Reigns.
However, on the back of this match-off, WWE confirmed that The Rock and Reigns would be going toe-to-toe in WrestleMania XL, with the WWE Title most likely up for grabs between the two. The announcement sparked outrage from fans as WWE had been building up a showdown for current WWE icon Cody Rhodes, son of renowned wrestler Dusty Rhodes. With The Rock returning to the ring and WrestleMania, he’s facing backlash for taking the moment away from Rhodes, as many say The Rock has had his time to cook.
While Johnson hasn’t yet commented on the backlash or renounced his decision to get back to the WWE, it does seem as though he’s decided to simultaneously double down on his Disney career with two upcoming releases from the studio. Despite starring in several variously successful Disney films over the last decade or so, Johnson really made a name for himself as the voice of Maui, the trickster god from 2016’s Moana.
The film features Polynesian characters and culture, and with Maui being a god of great strength and a sassy attitude, it’s clear why Dwayne Johnson was the perfect casting choice. In fact, it was so perfect, Johnson will be reprising the role twice more in the next few years after a surprise announcement at the Walt Disney Company’s Q1 Quarterly Earnings Call earlier this week.
Last year it had been announced that Moana would be one of several films receiving a live-action remake within the next few years despite disappointing performances from most of Disney’s previous live-action films. While it was confirmed that Auli’i Cravalho, who voiced Moana, would not reprise her role for the live-action film, Dwayne Johnson would be returning as Maui. However, both stars will be on board as executive directors of the film.
The surprise announcement that came this week was that the previously announced Moana Disney+ series was being reconfigured as a sequel, and Moana 2 will be released this Thanksgiving, November 2024. Again, Johnson will return to voice the loveable god, essentially cementing his tie to the role. With this news, it’s clear that Johnson seems to have made his Disney claim despite a lackluster return to WWE that likely failed to earn the excitement he was hoping it would.
Johnson has recently stated that he intends to do more passion projects, confirming a role in an upcoming A24 film. With his future career undoubtedly tied to Disney, it remains to be seen how it will affect future projects.
Are you excited for all the Moana news? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!