Dwayne Johnson Reacts to Live-Action Moana Wig Memes, Jokes Included

You’ve likely stumbled across the meme wave aimed at Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s wig in the live-action Moana remake—complete with jokes about how the hairstyle is “defying gravity” while everyone else in the trailer is supposedly fighting for their lives. Even Weird Al Yankovic, famous for his own long, curly hair, chimed in with a joke about how casting teams keep sending in headshots for a hypothetical “Weird Al” sequel that’s supposedly on ice.

Key takeaways

• Online jokes focus on Johnson’s Moana wig, with memes portraying it as battling wind, gravity, and even its “contract obligations.”
• Johnson says the meme attention made him laugh “so f***ing hard,” adding that viewers should wait to see the movie.
• Because CGI hair wasn’t an option, Johnson wore a wig to portray Maui’s signature long, flowing hair in the live-action remake.
• He’s used wigs for other roles too, including The Smashing Machine (last year) and The Mummy Returns (2001) as the Scorpion King.
• The early Moana trailer also faced criticism for heavy CGI and a desaturated look compared with the original animation.
• Variety reports Johnson went through 12 wigs to nail the Maui style, and IGN’s review scored the remake 6/10.

Johnson reacts to the wig memes

Johnson has leaned into the internet’s humor instead of pushing back. In comments shared with Variety, he said the memes made him laugh extremely hard, while also suggesting the focus should shift from the wig jokes to the film itself. His message was essentially: yes, the internet memed him, and yes, it was hilarious—but the movie still matters.

He also framed Maui’s hair as part of the character’s “superpower,” implying that the wig is meant to support the role rather than become the entire story of the remake.

Why the wig was necessary for Maui

In the live-action adaptation, Johnson reprises Maui, the lovable demigod whose defining look includes long, flowing hair, along with his tattoos and muscular build. Since Johnson is bald, the production couldn’t rely on CGI hair, making a wig the practical solution.

That choice didn’t come out of nowhere either. The actor has worn wigs before for different characters. Most recently, he wore a wig for The Smashing Machine, where he played Mark Kerr, though that role didn’t draw the same level of online attention as Maui. Going further back, Johnson wore a long, messy black wig for live-action scenes as the Scorpion King in The Mummy Returns (2001).

Trailer backlash: CGI look and color palette

While Johnson’s wig became a major talking point, it wasn’t the only thing that sparked debate. The initial Moana trailer was criticized for leaning heavily on CGI and for using a desaturated color palette compared to the original animated film that many fans love.

At the time, some viewers claimed the movie looked like AI “slop” and compared the look to a “T-Mobile commercial.” Reports also suggested Disney was aware of the backlash, but opted not to make a major course correction similar to the creative turnaround seen with Sonic the Hedgehog, even with only four months remaining before release.

How many wigs it took, and how the remake was reviewed

Variety reports that Johnson tried 12 wigs before settling on the Maui look that satisfied the production. Whether that detail work translated into overall satisfaction is a separate question—at least based on review scores. IGN’s Moana review landed at 6/10.

The review’s written verdict argued that Johnson returns as Maui opposite newcomer Catherine Laga’aia, but claimed the remake doesn’t do enough to justify being made in the first place, framing it as a “frame-by-frame” retelling that still falls short.