Moana 2 Star Dwayne Johnson Wants Maui to Challenge Masculinity with Disney Sequel

Moana 2 star Dwayne Johnson hopes Maui's role in the sequel will challenge masculinity

By Matthew Aguilar

Moana 2 is finally happening, and Disney fans couldn't be more excited to dive back into the world of Moana, Maui, and Hei Hei later this year. While the core cast is returning for another adventure, the sequel will also be delving into new territory with each of those characters, and the same is true of everyone's favorite demigod Maui. In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Co-Director Dana Ledoux Miller and Dwayne Johnson spoke about some of the things the film will explore with Maui, and one of the new challenges he will face will be presenting some vulnerability and asking for help, something Johnson feels is important to highlight in terms of masculinity.

An Evolving Bond

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"We're putting them through new tests, new challenges, and it really pushes them both to places that we haven't seen them go yet," Miller said of Moana and Maui. "It allows their friendship to grow and that relationship to become even more important to them. But it also means that Maui, a character who is so much larger than life, has vulnerability. It's not easy for any of us to ask for help in our lives."

At D23 Johnson expounded on that idea, saying, "The idea of asking for help is actually a superpower. Masculinity, to me, is not being tough. It's not being a badass. Powerful masculinity is having the confidence to look inside and say, 'This is what I'm feeling, and it's okay. Here's my chest. I'll gladly rip it open to someone who can help me.'"

Vulnerability is Powerful

Johnson learned to keep his emotions to himself growing up, and that only persisted in the worlds of sports and wrestling. That changed though after Johnson lost several friends to suicide, discovering the power of opening up, and Johnson identified that struggle in Maui.

"When I got to Maui, I was like, 'Okay, I know who this is,' This guy who is very presentational, who puts on a show, who loves to hold court, sing and dance, and make people feel good," Johnson said. "But there's a lot that's brewing deep down that, eventually, he is going to have to contend with because it's like a ball that you're holding underwater. Eventually, you've got to let the ball go, and it's going to explode."

"It's an important moment for people to see that you can be strong, you can be big, you can be independent, but it's okay to ask for help," Johnson said. "When you do finally ask for help, the universe and your loved ones have a way of meeting you halfway. Even the strongest of people need help."

That help will be coming from Moana, and this time around the hierarchy between then has shifted quite a bit. "They're much more comrades. There isn't as much of a hierarchy and power between demi-god and human," Cravalho said. "He trusts her to make large decisions, and she trusts Maui to listen to her."

Moana 2 hits theaters on November 27th.

Are you excited for Moana 2? You can talk all things Disney with me on Threads and Twitter @mattaguilarcb!

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