The road to the 2026 Academy Awards is already heating up, and Variety’s senior awards editor Clayton Davis has placed Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson at the center of the conversation.
In its latest Awards Circuit Best Actor predictions, Variety spotlights Johnson as one of the frontrunners for his dramatic turn in Benny Safdie’s The Smashing Machine.
Known worldwide for his blockbuster roles in action franchises, Johnson is earning early buzz for what critics are calling a “transformational performance.” The Venice and Telluride Film Festivals are expected to showcase the Safdie-directed drama, with Johnson portraying MMA legend Mark Kerr in a raw, career-redefining role.
Joining Johnson near the top of Variety’s early field are:
- Daniel Day-Lewis, returning from retirement for Anemone, written and directed by his son Ronan Day-Lewis.
- Michael B. Jordan, eyeing his first-ever Oscar nomination for Ryan Coogler’s supernatural thriller Sinners.
- Jesse Plemons, teaming with Yorgos Lanthimos for the twisted drama Bugonia.
The article also highlights Wagner Moura (The Secret Agent), Russell Crowe (Nuremberg), Leonardo DiCaprio (One Battle After Another), Channing Tatum (Roofman), Jeremy Allen White (Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere), and Oscar Isaac in dual projects (Frankenstein and The Hand of Dante), signaling one of the most competitive Best Actor races in recent years.
For Johnson, however, the recognition is especially significant. Despite global superstardom, he has never been part of the awards-season spotlight. If The Smashing Machine continues to generate acclaim, the WWE icon turned Hollywood powerhouse could be headed for his first-ever Academy Award nomination.
As Variety stresses, predictions are fluid and subject to change as buzz builds through the fall festivals. But right now, Dwayne Johnson’s dramatic reinvention has him standing shoulder-to-shoulder with some of cinema’s most celebrated names.
