Dwayne Johnson On WrestleMania Comeback: “It’s Incredibly Hard”

Dwayne Johnson, also known as “The Rock,” returned to the WWE ring at WrestleMania 40 this past April after an 11-year hiatus. While fans were thrilled to see him back in action, Johnson, 52, admits the comeback was no walk in the park.

“It’s incredibly hard,” Johnson told PEOPLE on December 17 at the premiere of Cirque du Soleil ‘Auana in Honolulu. “The training becomes really extensive, and the training camp becomes extensive. So, I went [to] training camp for WrestleMania, which was about an eight- to nine-week training camp. It’s really fast, and fortunately, I was able to get through it all.”

At WrestleMania 40, Johnson teamed up with Roman Reigns to face off against Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins, calling them “great dance partners” in the ring. Fans are already buzzing about the possibility of The Rock returning for WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas next year—a rumor Johnson himself has playfully fueled.

But wrestling isn’t the only thing keeping Johnson busy. After wrapping up WrestleMania, he powered through a seven-week training camp for his upcoming action-packed film, The Smashing Machine, set to release in 2025. He also spent time filming the live-action adaptation of Disney’s Moana and promoting two major projects: the holiday-themed movie Red One and the animated sequel Moana 2.

Speaking about his projects, Johnson shared his excitement with PEOPLE. “Red One is special. It’s our little Christmas movie, as I like to call it, but also on the Moana 2 of it all, it’s really been this incredible global embrace of our Polynesian culture and how really amazing that is. So, it’s a good time.”

On Tuesday, Johnson attended the opening of Cirque du Soleil ‘Auana at the Waikiki Beachcomber Hotel in Hawaii, celebrating Polynesian and Hawaiian culture alongside his 9-year-old daughter Jasmine. Hawaii holds a special place in Johnson’s heart, as he spent his high school years there.

“I think this particular Cirque du Soleil, we’ll call it the aloha, the mana style Cirque du Soleil, is going to be special. It’s good to be back home during this time and bring the little one here, too,” he stated.

While Moana 2 is already lighting up theaters, Red One is available for streaming on Prime Video, making this holiday season a perfect time to dive into The Rock’s latest projects.