Dwayne Johnson Confirms He Wore Tattooed Bodysuit For Live-Action ‘Moana’

Don’t worry folks, even Dwayne Johnson needs a little help getting into godly shape.

According to an interview with Extra, the Moana actor confirmed suspicions that he would be wearing a muscle suit to play the demigod Maui in the live-action version of Disney‘s Moana.

“That’s a suit that took a long time to put on,” Johnson said when asked if he had to muscle up (even more) to accurately portray the role. “So, I’m so happy you said, ‘You bulked up,’ because when you say, ‘You bulked up,’ that means you couldn’t tell.”

Fans began speculating in the past week after paparazzi photos of Johnson and the others on set continually leaked — including one showing Johnson covered in Maui’s signature tattoos and sporting a shoulder-to-waist ratio that seemed extremely unattainable even for the former professional wrestler.

 “We shot outside and when those pictures surfaced, I was like, ‘Shit, we got caught,’ cause we were putting up, like, walls so there was no paparazzi,” Johnson added. “But they got into boats and started shooting pictures.”

The news comes amid the ongoing press tour for Moana 2, which was released in theaters on Wednesday. The film picks up where the 2016 original left off, following Moana, the daughter of a village chief handpicked by the ocean to reconnect her people to their heritage. The live-action version of Moana will be one of the latest in Disney’s consistent moves to release live-action versions of their most popular films, including Lilo & Stitch, The Lion King, and Snow White.

Johnson voiced Maui in the 2016 original animated film and will reprise his role alongside franchise newcomer Catherine Laga’aia in the remake, which is currently set to premiere on July 10, 2026. Fans anxiously waiting can expect to see realistic recreations of the film’s most famous scenes and Academy Award-nominated songs — alongside a muscle suit-clad Johnson. Magical demigods, they’re just like us.