Is The Rock wearing a muscle suit in Disney’s live-action Moana movie?

Dwayne Johnson looks suspiciously ripped on the set of Disney’s live-action remake of Moana. Is he wearing a body suit?

Do you smell what The Rock is cooking while on the set of Disney’s live-action remake of Moana? It smells like sweat-stained rubber mats, Creatine, and tequila. For real, though, I’ve had Dwayne Johnson’s tequila, and it’s delicious. Allow me to get to the point. Photos from the set of Disney’s live-action remake of Moana are making the rounds thanks to The Daily Mail, and people are questioning whether Johnson’s physique for the upcoming film is genuine. This query sounds ridiculous. Or does it?

While Dwayne Johnson is undoubtedly a behemoth who tirelessly works to keep himself tip-top, there’s something strange about his proportions in the newly leaked set photos. I’m not saying The Rock is wearing a body suit for sure, but his costume strategically hides telltale areas of the body that would otherwise reveal body suit seams. He could easily enhance “the bod” with Maui’s signature necklace, vambraces, and grass skirt. Again, this is all for your consideration. The last thing I want is for Dwayne Johnson to show up at my front door with anything less than a handshake and the keys to a new SUV. He’d put me in the dirt, no contest.

Set in Ancient Polynesia, Moana tells the story of what happens when a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui reaches Moana’s island. Answering the Ocean’s call to seek out the Demigod and set things right, the young woman reconnects with her ancestors and discovers she’s more powerful than she ever imagined.

Hamilton director Thomas Kail directs Disney’s live-action Moana, starring Catherine Laga’aia as Moana, Dwayne Johnson as Maui, Frankie Adams as Sina, John Tui as Chef Tui, and Rena Owen as Gramma Tala.

Although Kail directed Lin-Manuel Miranda’s In the Heights in 2008 and Miranda’s Hamilton in 2015, Moana is technically his first narrative directorial feature. Moana infuses musical elements with mythical adventure, making Kail a natural choice to helm the live-action adaptation.

Johnson, thrilled to return to the world of Moana, said, “I’m deeply humbled and overcome with gratitude to bring the beautiful story of Moana to the live-action big screen. This story is my culture, and this story is emblematic of our people’s grace and warrior strength. I wear this culture proudly on my skin and in my soul, and this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to reunite with Maui, inspired by the mana and spirit of my late grandfather, High Chief Peter Maivia, is one that runs very deep for me. I want to thank my partners at Disney for their strong commitment to this special endeavor, because there is no better world for us to honor the story of our people, our passion and our purpose than through the realm of music and dance, which is at the core of who we are as Polynesian people.”

What do you think about The Rock’s physique for Disney’s live-action Moana? Is he walking around the island au naturel, or is he wearing a body suit like “Weird Al” Yankovic during the Rambo sequence in the 1989 comedy UHF? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.