Is Dwayne Johnson About to Bag His First Oscar?

Dwayne Johnson, known for decades simply as The Rock, may finally be preparing to add a very different kind of heavyweight title to his résumé: Oscar winner.

His upcoming film The Smashing Machine, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival this week, has already become one of the breakout hits of the season. The film received a staggering 15-and-a-half-minute standing ovation following its debut screening, a clear sign that Johnson’s performance has shattered expectations and, perhaps, opened the door to serious awards recognition.

Directed by Benny Safdie (Uncut Gems), The Smashing Machine is an artful, emotionally raw dramatisation of the 2002 HBO documentary of the same name. The film tells the harrowing true story of Mark Kerr, a mixed martial arts pioneer who dominated the brutal early years of the sport while privately battling addiction, depression, and a crumbling personal life.

In what critics are calling his most vulnerable and transformational performance to date, Johnson disappears into the role of Kerr, sporting a rare full head of hair and a psychological depth far removed from his usual blockbuster persona. His towering presence still commands the screen, but here it’s less about power and more about pain.

It begs the question: why did Marvel bother with CGI for the Hulk when they could’ve just painted Johnson green?

Also starring Emily Blunt as Kerr’s partner, Dawn Staples, and MMA veteran Ryan Bader, The Smashing Machine delivers both bone-crunching realism and tender emotional beats — a balance rarely struck in sports dramas.

Oscar Buzz Is Building

Whispers of an Oscar nomination began echoing through the Lido moments after the premiere, and as festival season picks up, Johnson is being seriously touted as a Best Actor contender for the 2026 Academy Awards. And the competition? It’s stacked. According to Variety’s Awards Circuit, Johnson could be going head-to-head with:

Daniel Day-Lewis, returning from retirement for Anemone, directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis

Michael B. Jordan, gaining long-overdue recognition in Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler

Jesse Plemons, starring in Yorgos Lanthimos’ latest surrealist outing Bugonia

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Oscar Isaac, with a double shot in Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and The Hand of Dante

Russell Crowe, making a potential comeback with the WWII drama Nuremberg

It’s a competitive field, and the early buzz suggests Johnson could not only land a nomination, but potentially win.

Regardless of the Academy outcome, The Smashing Machine marks a defining moment in Johnson’s career, a pivot from mass-market franchise fare to deeply human storytelling. After decades of playing indestructible heroes, he’s finally given audiences a portrait of a man coming apart at the seams. And they’re responding.

Is this the performance that breaks the barrier between superstardom and critical acclaim? Come March 2026, we’ll have our answer.

But for now, Dwayne Johnson is no longer just a box office titan. He’s an actor in serious awards contention and if the Venice standing ovation is anything to go by, The Smashing Machine might be the film that cements his legacy.