Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson, a.k.a The Rock, left fans stunned with a visibly slimmer physique during his appearance at the 82nd Venice Film Festival on September 1.

Johnson attended the screening of his latest film The Smashing Machine at the festival on Monday. He was accompanied by his co-star Emily Blunt and the biopic’s director Benny Safdie during the screening.

Videos shared by the official Instagram page of The Venice Film Festival show Johnson looking dapper in a double-breasted grey suit. However, what really caught the attention of the fans was that the 53-year-old seemed to have lost a significant amount of weight and muscles.

Since The Rock is synonymous with massive muscles and a Herculean body, his visibly slimmer physique left fans rife with speculations.

While some attribute the drastic change to his role as MMA fighter and UFC pioneer Mark Kerr in The Smashing Machine, others believe it is the result of a changed lifestyle.

“It seems as if Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has finally stopped taking steroids in order to live a better, healthy life. Funny, how the media or some fans won't even acknowledge that #DwayneJohnson #TheRock,” wrote another X user.

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“I see Dwayne @TheRock Johnson is prepping for his lead role in the Gandhi remake,” another X user jokingly wrote. “Yo, what happened to The Rock!?,” quipped another user.

The Smashing Machine, Johnson and Blunt’s second collaboration after Disney’s 2021 film Jungle Cruise, delves into the life of Mark Kerr, two-time UFC heavyweight champion who fought from 1997 to 2009 and won four ADCC World Championships in his career.

The Smashing Machine, which received a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival on Monday, is slated to hit theatres on October 3.