Dwayne Johnson has entered the ring in the first image for A24‘s The Smashing Machine, just weeks after he announced his training for the role on social media. While the Jumanji actor was mostly for his wrestling past, his appearance in this upcoming feature will allow him to unleash his inner UFC champion.

In this upcoming movie, Johnson is cast to play Mark Kerr, a former wrestler and mixed martial artist, who’s also a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion. According to the image, the actor is in the ring with two members of his team. The actor looks completely different due to the fake hair that’s on him, making the actor look younger.

The Smashing Machine was first announced back on February 29, 2024, and was said to be the solo directorial debut for Benny Safdie. The film is a biopic about Kerr and will draw inspiration from the 2002 documentary, The Smashing Machine: The Life and Times of Extreme Fighter Mark Kerr, directed by John Hyams.

Before his directorial debut, Safdie was an actor, appearing in multiple projects, such as Oppenheimer, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and most recently, The Curse. He has also worked with A24 in the past as he was one of the writers for the 2019 crime thriller, Uncut Gems. Alongside Johnson, Emily Blunt was also confirmed to star in the film. Variety reported that Johnson and Dany Garcia‘s production company, Seven Bucks Production, will be producing this feature and that filming was scheduled to begin during the summer.

Dwayne Johnson’s Acting History

First look at Benny Safdie’s THE SMASHING MACHINE starring @TheRock and Emily Blunt. pic.twitter.com/GVC2XIHwGV

— A24 (@A24) May 21, 2024

Johnson has starred in numerous roles since he began his acting career in the 1990s. The wrestler is known for his roles in The Fast and Furious franchise, Moana, 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and DC‘s Black Adam, just to name a few. Johnson also appeared in cameo roles for shows like The Wizards of Waverly Place and Family Guy, as well as having a small talking role in Taylor Swift‘s music video, “The Man.”

Alongside The Smashing Machine, Johnson is set to star in the upcoming Moana live-action adaptation and animated sequel, reprising his role as Maui. It was also rumored that he’s set to return in a supposed sequel to the natural disaster film, San Andreas, but it seems that’s no longer happening anymore, according to Alexandra Daddario.

The Smashing Machine is scheduled to come out in 2025.

via Collider