Dwayne Johnson has shocked fans worldwide by unveiling a dramatic new look for his upcoming film. In a recent social media post, the actor, famously known for his bald head, sported a full head of hair, and this surprising transformation has sparked a flurry of reactions and excitement about his latest role.
Dwayne Johnson, also known as The Rock, recently posted a picture of himself with a full head of hair, and fans almost did not recognize him.
The photo was from the set of his current film, “The Smashing Machine.” The actor is seen with black hair sitting in a boxing ring, shirtless, wearing red boxing shorts and black and white sneakers with two people helping him cool off.
Seeing Johnson with black hair, when he is famously known for having a clean-shaven head and face, confused a few fans. Commenters thought the hair completely transformed him. “Hardly looks like him,” shared an X user.
Despite the shock of the new look, some netizens were pleasantly surprised. “Wow, The Rock with hair is something else…” wrote a commenter who added a blushing and in-love emoji. But for some, the hair needed a bit of getting used to. “Wow, The Rock with hair looks like a whole different person,” reiterated another.
The costume team in the new film deserves all the credit because fans could have sworn the man sitting in the boxing ring with black hair was not Johnson. “Is this The Rock?… Totally different 😮❤️🔥” wrote a commenter, while another added, “Unrecognizable 😶.”
A few Facebook users also needed to zoom in on the picture a few times to believe their eyes. “I literally had to look closely to see if that actually was Dwayne; he looks crazy different,” expressed a commenter. One person was still convinced it was not The Rock: “So the man sitting there, you’re telling me it’s The Rock?” they wondered.
Johnson is currently working on a film about the story of mixed martial arts and UFC champion Mark Kerr, directed by Benny Safdie.
Mark Kerr reacts after winning a UFC heavyweight tournament in Birmingham, Alabama in 1997 | Source: Getty Images
The casting of Johnson as Kerr is perfect as the two men have the same strong-built physique, and the only difference is Johnson’s bald head.
Mark Kerr reacts after winning a UFC heavyweight tournament in Mississippi in 1997 | Source: Getty Images
According to Johnson, he and Safdie had been speaking about bringing this project to life since 2019. But the coronavirus pandemic hit and slowed them down, especially since both the actor and director were busy with multiple other projects.
However, the time finally came, and Johnson was excited to trust the creative process of Safdie and bring the story of Kerr to life. For Johnson, taking on this role was something that aligned with the films he intended to be a part of from now on.
The actor explained, “I’m at a point in my career where I want to push myself in ways that I’ve not pushed myself in the past. I’m at a point in my career where I want to make films that matter, that explore humanity and explore struggle [and] pain.”
Although Dwayne Johnson is still filming the movie, the production company A24 has already hyped up “The Smashing Machine” as The Rock’s “most dramatic project and role yet.”