Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is about to add another massive honor to his résumé, and Disney is making sure fans everywhere can watch it happen.
Disney announced that the 2026 Disney Legends Awards Ceremony will be recorded live during D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event in Anaheim and begin streaming on Disney+ at 6 PM PT on August 16. Johnson is part of this year’s Disney Legends class after being named to the group back in March.
The Disney Legend distinction is the company’s highest honor, with Johnson being recognized in the film and voice categories after years of work with Disney, including his role as Maui in the Moana franchise.
Disney didn’t exactly undersell his journey either. In its official write-up, the company went all the way back to Johnson’s life before WWE, pointing to the moment his football dreams collapsed and he was left with almost nothing.
“After a nomadic childhood marked by economic insecurity, Johnson was down to his last $7. At 23, he had just seen his dream of playing professional football slip away. Rather than retreat, Johnson threw himself into the first of a series of bold transformations.”
That transformation led directly to professional wrestling, despite resistance from his father. Disney credited Johnson with turning that gamble into something far bigger.
“Over his father’s objections (but with his mother’s blessing), Johnson plunged headlong into professional wrestling. He emerged as the most popular and successful wrestler of all time.”
Johnson then took another huge risk by leaving wrestling behind for Hollywood, eventually becoming one of the biggest movie stars on the planet. Disney noted that he followed his in-ring success by reinventing himself again as an actor and producer through Seven Bucks Productions.
His Disney connection has only grown along the way. Johnson voiced Maui in Moana and returned for Moana 2, which Disney said grossed more than $1 billion worldwide. He is also set to play Maui again in the live-action Moana. Disney also pointed to Johnson’s dramatic turn in The Smashing Machine as another major reinvention. The role required a heavy physical transformation and earned him a Golden Globe nomination.
“Johnson’s most visible transformation came in a career-redefining portrayal of UFC fighter Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, the first solo directing effort by Benny Safdie.”
The company also has plenty more Johnson projects on deck, including another collaboration with Safdie, a Martin Scorsese-directed project alongside Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt, and an untitled psychological thriller from Darren Aronofsky and A24. Johnson made his film debut in The Mummy Returns in 2001 before landing his first leading role in The Scorpion King one year later. Disney says his movies have since grossed more than $15 billion globally, putting him among the top five box-office stars of all time.
Now, after WWE championships, blockbuster movies, producing, writing and becoming one of Disney’s most recognizable voices, The Rock is getting the company’s highest honor — and fans won’t need to be inside D23 to see it.
Do you think Dwayne Johnson deserves to be named a Disney Legend, and where does this honor rank among everything he has accomplished in wrestling and Hollywood? Let us know what you think in the comments.
