Dwayne Johnson Raises Concerns After Losing 20% of Weight Ahead of ‘The Smashing Machine’ Release

Besides Arnold Schwarzenegger, it’s Dwayne Johnson who pops up more often when we talk about massive physiques sported by an action star. For the longest time, the former WWE champion looked like the biggest guy in the room everywhere he went, but things have changed dramatically. Johnson was recently seen sporting a much leaner physique, which, in all honesty, had people concerned.

Yes, there have been videos going around on social media, capturing fans’ attention, of Dwayne Johnson at the Venice Film Festival. Moreover, it comes at a time when his movie about MMA legend Mark Kerr‘s life, The Smashing Machine, is on the verge of release. So, let’s take a look at what the fuss is about because the word is that Johnson went through a massive weight-loss regimen.

Dwayne Johnson sports a concerning lean physique a month before ‘The Smashing Machine’s release

While posing for the cameras, Johnson revealed a much leaner frame, drawing comparisons to his WWE days in the early 2000s, when his weight ranged between 250–275 pounds. Reports suggest he trimmed down for authenticity, though industry outlets caution against reading too much into it. Medical professionals not tied to the film have noted that weight fluctuations are common for actors preparing for demanding roles, but no health concerns have been confirmed.

Dwayne Johnson had previously mentioned that he wanted to take on a really challenging role, and that’s exactly what he did by deciding to make a movie on MMA pioneer Mark Kerr and portray him in The Smashing Machine. He had to get into the same shape as the legendary fighter, and for that, Johnson ditched his high-calorie diet and replaced it with a high-protein diet so that his appearance would be similar to a real combat sports fighter.

Hence, the new diet has helped him gain muscle but appear leaner, which is not surprising. Such transformations echo what other Hollywood stars, like Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, and most recently Brendan Fraser have undergone for roles that demanded radical body changes. The Smashing Machine will be hitting theatres on October 3, 2025, and it will be interesting to see what kind of reaction it gets from the viewers, with outlets like Variety already noting “early Oscar chatter” after its trailer premiere.

Dwayne Johnson has always been a hard-hitting action star on the silver screen. People hardly saw him in serious roles, just like the ones Dave Bautista has recently gained fame for. Why? Well, there was a fear in Johnson, and that fear was what drove him to take this challenge up.

‘The Rock’ reveals the story behind his decision to work on the Mark Kerr biopic

Dwayne Johnson claims that, just like we’ve mentioned above, he wanted a challenging role and waited for the opportunities to come. But it did not come to him directly, and because he was doing very well at the box office with his big-budget action movies, the WWE legend did not take the time to go for a more acting-based movie. And so, The Smashing Machine became his next project, even though he went through it made him nervous, leading him to have doubts.

“It was very real. I had not experienced that in a very, very, very long time, where I was really scared and thinking, I don’t know if I can do this. Can I do this?” Dwayne Johnson told Vanity Fair. “I realized that maybe these opportunities weren’t coming my way because I was too scared to explore this stuff.”

Besides the physical transformation, Dwayne Johnson also had to spend hours in the makeup chair, seeing himself getting plastered with over a dozen prosthetics. “I just sat in front of that mirror for three to four hours and watched it all change,” he added. Now, it all comes down to the movie and we’ll have to wait and see if all this hard work pays off for the Hollywood star. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.