Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson‘s career is not going through its best moments, at least in economic and popularity terms. A few years ago, the Brahma Bull was the highest-paid actor in the world. And his films reaped great numbers on box office and streaming platforms. But the commercial failure of Black Adam and then the recent controversies on the set of Red One have been diminishing his influence with the public.

However, his alliance with A24 and Benny Safdie could change things. Thanks to the biographical role he’s playing in The Smashing Machine. In a film for which we already have the first official image of an unrecognizable Johnson in the role of Mark Kerr. In fact, he looks so different that many might wonder if it was because of prosthetics or if it was just an image altered through AI. Let’s find out!

Dwayne Johnson’s insane transformation in a recent picture

Johnson is known for his big smile, ripped body, and signature tattoos. However, he has completely transformed his appearance to play Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine. A24 has released the first image of Johnson as Kerr. A former fighter and MMA star who rose to fame in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

Like Kerr, Johnson can be seen without any tattoos and even has a head full of hair in the image as he sits in the corner of the ring while trainers work on his body. But while it is possible that it is all prosthetics, the production company A24 does have a history of using AI to build hype. For their film Civil War, A24 released five pictures. Each depicted post-apocalyptic scenes in several major cities within the United States. However, it was revealed by the Hollywood Reporter that all the images depicted as scenes from the movie weren’t actually a part of the movie at all.

In fact, they were images generated through AI. Some notable geographic and landmark mistakes were spotted by several people. For instance, the two Marina Towers buildings in Chicago were on the same side of the river. However, the two are on opposite sides of the picture. Meanwhile, a shot of wreckage showed a three-doored car. So it is possible that A24 used the same AI tools to create this first look. However, seeing how hard the Rock has been working on this film, it is possible that he actually decided to go all-in on the transformation. And it all be real prosthetics on his face.

The supposed still from The Smashing Machine also features Johnson’s co-star Emily Blunt in the bottom right corner of the image. She could be seen looking at Kerr. Blunt plays Kerr’s wife, Dawn Staples. She and Johnson previously starred together in 2021’s Jungle Cruise.

What is The Smashing Machine about?

In the movie, the Rock plays the role of Kerr. A legendary MMA fighter from the UFC’s no-holds-barred era. The film follows Kerr’s struggle with victories, love, friendship, and addiction in the year 2000. A24 is producing and financing the film. And it puts them back in business with Safdie, who co-directed and co-wrote Uncut Gems. Safdie also wrote the screenplay for The Smashing Machine.

During his MMA career, Kerr was a two-time UFC Heavyweight Tournament Champion, a Vale Tudo World Championship Tournament Winner, a Pride FC Heavyweight Champion, a 1992 NCAA National Wrestling Champion, a 1994 National Freestyle Champion, and a four-time ADCC Submission World Champion. The Smashing Machine is currently being filmed. So it does not have an official release date at this time. But what do you think? Are you impressed with Johnson’s new look? Do you think it is AI-generated as well? Let us know in the comments.