When Dwayne Johnson, known in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) as “The Rock,” signed on to play MMA fighter and UFC legend Mark Kerr in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine, film circles reacted with both curiosity and skepticism. Could Johnson, one of the most bankable action stars alive, finally break through as a serious actor? Or would the project turn into an overreaching experiment, an ironic failed bid to rival Mickey Rourke’s acclaimed turn in The Wrestler?
The role is more than just another item on his résumé. For Johnson, it represents a crossroads in a career defined by reinvention. From professional wrestling superstardom and family-friendly comedies to billion-dollar action franchises, Johnson has spent the past three decades shaping himself into one of the most recognizable performers in the world.
Johnson’s career has been a story of constant transformation. He has played the wrestling heel, the family man, the franchise anchor, and the would-be superhero. With The Smashing Machine on the horizon, he is aiming for something he has never fully attempted: credibility as an actor who can play serious, dramatic roles.
Johnson is no longer content to dominate the box office. He wants to test himself, to break free from the mold he perfected and perfected again. What matters is the shift in ambition. Whether audiences are ready to see Johnson cry, struggle, and stumble remains to be seen. But for the first time in decades, his career feels unpredictable, and that might be the most electrifying thing about him yet.
With The Smashing Machine, he is asking audiences to see him differently. We take a deep look on how to understand the weight of this pivot, you have to retrace the path that brought him here.
‘Straight-to-DVD’ King
Johnson’s earliest film work in the early 2000s felt like a test run after finishing his full-time run as a wrestler in the WWE in 2004. After a small role as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns in 2001 alongside Brendan Fraser, who was Hollywood’s leading man at the time, he headlined The Scorpion King the following year – an ancient action vehicle that cemented his potential, but also signaled a ceiling for his acting expertise. He followed with the buddy action comedy The Rundown in 2003 alongside Seann William Scott, the science fiction horror video game adaptation Doom in 2005, and Richard Kelly’s chaotic cult classic Southland Tales in 2006. Furthermore, these films felt all like straight-to-dvd quality with its hammy acting, over-the-top stunts, and wild plotlines.
This era defined Johnson as a campy but committed presence. He was the guy who could swing a sword, crack a one-liner, or deliver jittery paranoia in a sci-fi dystopia. Critics were rarely impressed, but audiences noticed his sheer energy. Hollywood was still unsure whether to treat him as a future leading man or just another musclebound novelty.
Disney’s Daddy Figure
By the mid-2000s, Johnson shifted gears in choosing his roles. Wrestling was fading into the background, and family films gave him a new audience. He played a cocky NFL quarterback long-lost father in The Game Plan in 2007, a protective guardian of two blonde alien kids in Race to Witch Mountain in 2009, and a cursed hockey player in The Tooth Fairy in 2010.
The Rock, who once reveled in cocky insults, was now a bankable children’s star. The films made money, but critics dismissed them as formulaic. The Tooth Fairy, in particular, earned scathing reviews, with a 17 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Still, these roles gave Johnson staying power, proving he could appeal to families and not just wrestling fans.
2 Rock 2 Furious
The 2010s brought the turning point for Johnson, literally. He joined Fast Five in 2011 as federal agent Luke Hobbs, a role that reinvigorated both the franchise and his career. Hobbs was pure testosterone: an unstoppable, goateed lawman with bulging biceps and a fondness for smashing through walls using armoured vehicles.
The character defined Johnson’s action persona for the next decade. He played variations of Hobbs in San Andreas in 2015, Skyscraper in 2018, and eventually the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw in 2019. He even tried to extend his dominance into the superhero market with Black Adam in 2022, though the film resulted in financial losses in the box office and exposed the limits of his formula in his career.
By 2018, Johnson was Hollywood’s highest-paid actor, earning $124 million in a single year. Yet the roles had become repetitive. Audiences knew what to expect: Johnson as the indestructible strongman with a heart of gold. It was a lucrative mold, but one that threatened to trap him forever.
Royal A24 Debut
That is what makes The Smashing Machine so intriguing in the year 2025. Directed by Benny Safdie, known for gritty character studies in mumblecore films like Daddy Long Legs or in thrillers like Good Time and Uncut Gems, the film promises a rawer, less polished Johnson. Playing Mark Kerr, a fighter battling addiction and personal demons, demands vulnerability and range — qualities rarely associated with Johnson’s screen persona.
“Sometimes it’s hard to know what you’re capable of when you’ve been pigeonholed,” Johnson told the BBC in an interview last September 1. “It takes people you love and respect to remind you that you can do it.”
The parallels between Kerr’s life and Johnson’s career are striking. Both men built reputations on toughness and spectacle, only to confront the costs of their own personas. For Johnson, the role is more than mimicry. It is a chance to prove that he can strip away the polish and deliver a performance that connects on a human level.
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