Disney’s live-action Moana has officially entered the conversation — and Dwayne Johnson’s transformation into the demigod Maui is already splitting audiences right down the middle.
After a new trailer dropped giving fans their most complete look yet at Johnson in full Maui costume and makeup, social media lit up with reactions ranging from genuine excitement to sharp criticism. The response has been loud enough to make this one of the more talked-about casting debates surrounding Disney’s ongoing wave of live-action remakes.
Live-action was a mistake
Some things are better left animated….. this is one of them pic.twitter.com/v9aM67msLP— CricFlix (@PRAVIN0070) March 23, 2026
That hair and his face is a mess lol 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/RW5tOOJd1a
— Navaneeth Kulal (@nkrockzz88) March 23, 2026
It’s funny how much more energy Dwayne Johnson had in an SNL sketch riffing on live action Disney remakes compared to how he looked in that Moana trailer pic.twitter.com/wLNw03yvzc
— Parody/Spoof/Satire Clips (@NoContextSpoof) March 23, 2026
he was born for this role literally. as a very large muscular hawaiian native lmaooo
— pink (@iJaadee) March 23, 2026
Wait, from these paps pics and vid he looks better-ish pic.twitter.com/MX06HwQ6sT
— may this tweet find you doing your best (@deluluoptimist) March 23, 2026
Here’s what we know about the film, the casting, and why the audience reaction has become a story of its own.
What the New Moana Trailer Actually Showed
The trailer gave viewers their fullest look yet at Johnson as Maui — the larger-than-life, tattoo-covered demigod who was one of the most beloved characters in the original 2016 animated film. For many fans, seeing that character translated into live-action was the moment they had been either dreading or anticipating since the remake was announced.
Maui’s look in the animated version is iconic: a big, powerful figure covered in animated tattoos that move and tell their own story. Recreating that in live-action is an enormous visual effects challenge, and the trailer gave audiences their clearest indication yet of how the production team approached it.
Reactions, as they tend to be with high-profile Disney remakes, were immediate and divided.
Why Dwayne Johnson’s Maui Look Is Dividing Audiences
The split in audience response isn’t entirely surprising. Live-action adaptations of beloved animated films almost always face this kind of scrutiny — particularly when the animated original has a distinctive, stylized visual identity that’s difficult to replicate frame-for-frame in the real world.
Supporters of Johnson’s portrayal point to the fact that he voiced Maui in both the original Moana (2016) and its sequel Moana 2 (2024), making him the definitive voice of the character for nearly a decade. The argument from that camp is that nobody else could bring the same energy, familiarity, and physical presence to the role.
Critics, on the other hand, have focused on the visual execution of the live-action Maui look — particularly how the costume, prosthetics, and effects translate the animated character’s distinctive appearance into something that can exist in a photorealistic setting. That transition is where opinions are sharpest.
The Casting Picture: Who’s In the Film
While Johnson is returning to the role he originated in animation, the same cannot be said for Moana herself. Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced Moana in both the 2016 film and Moana 2, is not reprising her role for the live-action version. Instead, Catherine Laga’aia has been cast as Moana in the remake.
That casting decision has its own layer of conversation attached to it — particularly for fans who grew up with Cravalho’s voice as the defining version of the character. The choice to recast Moana while keeping Johnson as Maui adds an interesting asymmetry to the film’s relationship with its animated predecessors.
| Character | Animated Voice Actor | Live-Action Actor |
|---|---|---|
| Maui | Dwayne Johnson | Dwayne Johnson |
| Moana | Auliʻi Cravalho | Catherine Laga’aia |
Disney’s Live-Action Remake Track Record Makes This Moment Bigger
The Moana live-action film doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It’s part of Disney’s long-running strategy of adapting its animated library into live-action features — a strategy that has produced some massive box office hits and some genuine critical misfires.
Films like The Lion King (2019) and The Little Mermaid (2023) both faced intense pre-release scrutiny over how beloved animated characters would look in photorealistic form. Both films also experienced the same kind of divided audience response that’s now playing out with Moana. In that context, the current reaction to Johnson’s Maui look follows a very familiar pattern.
What makes Moana slightly different is the recency of the animated originals. The 2016 film and its 2024 sequel are both fresh in audiences’ memories, which raises the stakes for how the live-action version is received. Fans don’t have decades of nostalgia softening their expectations — they have a very recent, very vivid reference point.
What Happens Between Now and Release
The trailer release is typically one of the most important moments in shaping audience sentiment ahead of a major film’s premiere. Whether the current divided reaction hardens into something more negative — or whether additional footage softens the criticism — will likely depend on what Disney releases between now and the film’s opening.
For Johnson, the live-action Moana represents a continuation of his connection to the character that stretches back nearly ten years. How audiences ultimately receive his full Maui look on the big screen remains to be seen, but the conversation is clearly already underway.
The film’s performance at the box office will be the final verdict — and given the global popularity of the original animated film, the stakes are genuinely high for everyone involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dwayne Johnson playing Maui in the live-action Moana?
Yes. Dwayne Johnson is reprising his role as the demigod Maui in Disney’s live-action Moana remake, having previously voiced the character in the 2016 animated film and Moana 2 in 2024.
Who is playing Moana in the live-action film?
Catherine Laga’aia has been cast as Moana in the live-action remake, replacing Auliʻi Cravalho, who voiced the character in the animated films.
Why isn’t Auliʻi Cravalho returning as Moana?
What are audiences saying about Dwayne Johnson’s Maui look?
Audience reactions have been divided, with some fans expressing support and others raising concerns about how the animated character’s distinctive appearance translates into live-action form.
Has a release date been confirmed for the live-action Moana?
A specific release date has not been confirmed in
How many animated Moana films has Dwayne Johnson appeared in?
Johnson voiced Maui in two animated films — the original Moana in 2016 and the sequel Moana 2 in 2024 — before taking on the live-action role.
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