"Looks amazing": Fans react to The Smashing Machine starring The Rock as A24 reveals UFC moments with an official trailer

Dwayne Johnson, AKA The Rock, takes center stage in The Smashing Machine from A24. The first trailer dropped online on April 29, 2025, which shows The Rock returning to his roots as a fighter. This time, he is playing one in a film based on a real-life MMA fighter, Mark Kerr. So, it's like a homecoming for The Rock, once a WWE champion.

However, on the other hand, it shows The Rock in a much more grounded role than the action blockbuster movies he is famously known for. In the trailer, he has a dialogue with a kid in the waiting room outside a doctor's office. That's a humdrum setting for someone of his stature. However, that contrast somehow works in this trailer, written, directed, co-produced, and co-edited by Benny Safdie.

Benny is one-half of the Safdie brothers, who have made movies like Robert Pattinson's Good Time and Adam Sandler's Uncut Gems. The latter project showed Sandler in a kind of performance unlike his usual comedic roles. However, it led him to be picked as the Best Actor of the Year by the National Board of Review, USA.

The Benny Safdie directorial might just turn things around for Dwayne Johnson in a similar fashion, who is also slated to lead a Martin Scorsese film in the near future. However, for now, people are in awe of his fascinating transformation here, and they've already started talking about it in the YouTube comments section. One of these comments said,

"Every single role I've seen Dwayne Johnson in, he basically just plays The Rock. This is the first role that he seems to actually be acting as someone different, all the way down to the voice and mannerisms. It's also funny because he's still playing a fighter😆. He looks amazing in this role, and I'm looking forward to seeing it."

---

Fans react to The Smashing Machine trailer starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson

The fans are surprised by The Rock's transformation for his role in The Smashing Machine, the biographical boxing drama from A24 and writer-director Benny Safdie. The comments are highlighting the change in his voice and mannerisms and reveal an overall excitement to see this project on a big screen.

One of these comments said,

"You know it's not just the physical transformation, it sounds like Dwayne is trying a different cadence in his voice, a different delivery, than what he's done for most of his other movies. It's not much but it's a good sign he's really putting in the effort to act here. Trailer looks promising I hope this is a high water mark for him."

Another comment said,

Dwayne back to 'acting' acting. Beautiful."

There were a few more comments that were impressed with The Rock venturing into intense acting territory. One of them said,

"i really love how soft-spoken he sounds in this role, and the makeup artists did such an incredible job!"

Another person added,

"Despite The Rock's often questionable, safe, and underwhelming film choices, I never wanted him to fail as an actor. He has all the resources in the world to choose projects that truly showcase his talent if he’s willing to push beyond his comfort zone. I'm genuinely glad he found Benny Safdie and A24, a trio I never imagined coming together, but here we are. The Rock needed this, the audience needed this, and I’m absolutely rooting for him to succeed. This movie is a test of his range as an actor, it's so exciting 🙌"

One comment shared hope for Benny Safdie's directorial voice behind the film:

"Movie looks unbelievable, really goes to show why both Safdie's are not only two of the best out there, but truly an inspiration to us smaller indie filmmakers"

Then, another comment praised the impressive makeup work visible in the trailer:

Makeup department better get an award"

Starring alongside The Rock in The Smashing Machine is Oscar-nominated Emily Blunt. The film is scheduled for release on October 3, 2025.

---

Stay tuned to Soap Central for more such stories.