Maui Almost Went Bald in Moana: Why Disney Changed His Look

Fans of Moana have fallen in love with Maui, the curly-haired demigod voiced by Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson. But few know that the character almost looked completely different. Lin-Manuel Miranda, the film's composer, revealed the secret on Good Morning America.

According to Miranda, early sketches showed Maui bald to resemble Johnson's real appearance. However, cultural consultants pushed back: 'You can't do that. Maui's power is in his hair, it's part of his mana [spiritual energy]. It's culturally important that Maui's hair be stylin'!' So the team gave him a luscious mane instead.

Miranda himself admitted he's a big fan of Johnson's long hair from the Mummy franchise: 'I remember his film debut in The Scorpion King. I wanted to get back to that era.' Early concept art of a bald Maui surfaced in 2017 via USA Today.

With Disney now working on a live-action Moana, will the iconic curls stay? Would you have been okay with a bald Maui? Let us know in the comments!