Is Conor McGregor a Part of ‘Popeye the Sailor Man’ Live-Action Adaptation? Explaining UFC Star’s Hollywood Rumors

51 years after a spinach-chugging character first made a comic appearance, Robin Williams brought that character to life in the 1980 live-adaptation film Popeye. As the iconic comic celebrates its 95th anniversary, Chernin Entertainment and King Features are producing another live-action adaptation of Popeye: The Sailor Man. With such talks come rumors, and one of them is the possibility of Conor McGregor being cast in the film! But is there any stock to these rumors?

Conor McGregor made his Hollywood debut playing the villainous Knox in the 2024 remake of the 1989 cult classic Road House alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. Despite mixed reviews, the film continues to set records on Prime Video, clocking 50 million+ viewers over just two weekends. And, at least for the MMA community, McGregor was one of the main attractions. That said, could he be on for another feature film appearance, this time as Popeye?

If you think about it, Conor McGregor playing Popeye would make sense. The combination of speed, precision, and power that he’s demonstrated has led him to a 22-6-0 record. And as someone who’s rarely lost, who better than him to play the iconic character? At least, that’s what Popeye fans feel. As screenwriter Michael Caleo starts to bring this adaptation to life, many have released self-made, fictional trailers, one of which imagined McGregor playing the lead.

YouTube channel KH Studios posted this concept trailer of Popeye: The Sailor Man featuring Conor McGregor. The video was just over a minute and made for an exciting imagining of ‘The Notorious’ as the Spinach-loving sailor. “These men took the only person I care about,” McGregor was portrayed to have said, referring to Popeye’s love interest, Olive Oyl. “And for that, they’ll feel the wrath of spinach running through my muscles.”

As part of the channel’s imagination, they wrote in the description, “McGregor’s casting as Popeye represents a departure from his usual roles in the world of combat sports. But the Irish fighter has proven his versatility time and time again, both inside and outside the octagon. With his trademark charisma and undeniable physicality, McGregor is poised to bring a fresh and dynamic energy to the role, embodying the spirit of the spinach-loving sailor with gusto.”

The YouTube channel also established a scenario where director Taika Waititi, known for Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit, will lead this production. As enticing as this project may be to fans of combat sports and, of course, Popeye, McGregor’s portrayal hasn’t been the only trailer making the rounds. Turns out the wrestling community could potentially have something to look forward to, too!

‘The Rock’ or ‘The Notorious’?

Playing larger-than-life characters comes easy to Dwayne Johnson, thanks to his roots in WWE. From Luke Hobbs in the Fast & Furious franchise to The Scorpion King in The Mummy franchise, the WWE legend’s resume is stacked with such prominent characters. As a result, it wasn’t a surprise when fan-made trailers for Popeye: The Sailor Man featured him in the lead role. Like the one for Conor McGregor, there’s one for ‘The Rock’ on YouTube, too!

Back in 2015, Johnson posted a picture of himself in Popeye’s costume. That, coupled with the fan-made trailer, has spurred the speculations of him playing the lead even more. There’s no question that ‘The Rock’ fits Popeye’s description, who’s known to have big arms. But until Chernin Entertainment shares an update on the feature film, fans can only wonder.

Following the release of Road House, Conor McGregor assured that he is fully immersing himself back in the MMA scene. He has been out for a long time and wants to get back in action with just two fights left in his contract. Nevertheless, we can’t write off the fact that McGregor could continue his Hollywood career if he’s presented with the right offer.

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