Dwayne Johnson just pulled off a transformation that has fans and critics doing a double take.
The first trailer for The Smashing Machine dropped this week, and it’s safe to say, this isn’t the version of The Rock the world is used to. With black hair, subtle facial prosthetics, and a grittier presence, Johnson disappears into the role of former UFC champion Mark Kerr.
The trailer opens on a beaten and bloodied Johnson sitting in a doctor’s office. A boy stares at him, prompting his mother to ask, “How did that happen?”
Johnson responds with a quiet nod to Kerr’s brutal legacy: “Well, have you ever heard of the Ultimate Fighting Championship? The UFC?”
From that moment on, it’s clear this is a different kind of Dwayne Johnson film.
Fighter’s Rise And Fall
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The Smashing Machine, directed by Benny Safdie in his solo directorial debut, traces the highs and harrowing lows of Mark Kerr’s MMA career. Kerr rose to prominence in the late ’90s, winning titles and fans, but behind the scenes, he battled addiction to painkillers and the emotional toll of a violent sport. The new film draws inspiration from the 2002 HBO documentary that exposed those struggles.
Emily Blunt joins Johnson in the film, playing Kerr’s girlfriend Dawn. The trailer offers brief but emotional glimpses into their strained relationship. Johnson’s voiceover adds weight to the fighter’s mindset: “Winning is the best feeling in the world… There’s no other high like it.” The line hits harder when paired with scenes of Kerr stumbling through personal chaos and physical pain.
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is nearly unrecognizable as real-life UFC fighter Mark Kerr: pic.twitter.com/Vqd25cma6o
— IGN (@IGN) April 29, 2025
Fans have already flooded social media with reactions.
One user on X wrote, “Unrecognizable if you close your eyes, yes”
Unrecognizable if you close your eyes, yes
— HᴀʙᴇʀTᴡᴇᴇᴛs™ 🔥#TheHumaneBeings (@ToddHaberkorn) April 30, 2025
Another chimed in, “It looks like The Rock is cosplaying as a Klingon.” Many noted the subtle but powerful use of prosthetics and how Johnson’s physicality feels completely redefined for the role.
It looks like The Rock is cosplaying as a Klingon
— Matt Williams (@MattWi77iams) April 30, 2025
Johnson, speaking to GQ last year, hinted at this shift. “It was also an opportunity for me… to stretch myself in ways that I hadn’t been stretched yet,” he said. And from what the trailer shows, he’s doing just that.
The Smashing Machine hits theaters on October 3, 2025. If the trailer is any indication, Johnson might be stepping into the most intense and compelling chapter of his acting career yet.
Also Read: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson And The United Football League In Huge Trouble
