Dwayne Johnson stars in two new ‘Hercules’ photos, says he ‘was the first superhero’

The first official images have arrived from Brett Ratner’s Hercules, starring a bearded Dwayne Johnson as the titular character from Greek mythology.

Revealed in a new Mar. 23 article by USA TODAY, the new film is previewed.

“It’s when Hercules breaks through the chains and becomes the demi-god he was born to be,” says Johnson. “I was actually yelling with all the power I could muster, ‘I am Hercules!’ I gave it my all and made myself pass out every time we did it. But I honestly felt in that moment that I was born to play this role.”

Johnson, nicknamed The Rock, has fans excited because he stands at 6-feet-5-inches and may be realistic as the famous hero.

“He was the first superhero,” the star of Scorpion King proclaims.

There will be no blaming The Rock for not trying to look the part.

“It’s incredible, he’s up every morning at 3:45 right on the treadmill, then it was right to the gym for hours,” says producer Beau Flynn. “And then it was to the makeup chair, then shooting all day in the heat. And repeat that for 90 days.”

“The No. 1 goal is to make the definitive version of Hercules,” says Johnson. “We know we’re going to be under a microscope.”

Check out the full coverage HERE

Directed by Brett Ratner and co-starring John Hurt, Joseph Fiennes, Rufus Sewell, Irina Shayk and Ian McShane, Hercules will open in theaters on July 25, 2014.