Will Smith has given us many lauded roles throughout his decades-long film career. The actor has had diverse genres under his belt- be it comedy, action, drama, or even animation. But one his most unique roles, or rather the rumors of it, that absolutely piqued fans’ curiosity was Popeye the Sailor Man. A movie based on the fictional cartoon character created by Elzie Crisler Segar was rumored to have landed on the lap of the Academy-winning star last year. But, unfortunately, it could not materialize on the big screens. 

Here is the complete truth behind the rumored film and why it was not released in its scheduled time, i.e., 2024. 

Last year, in December, a Facebook post started widely circulating, claiming that Will Smith would be starring in a new movie based on Popeye the Sailor Man. It was a live-action poster for the rumored project that featured the Men in Black actor as the iconic cartoon character with the sailor hat, pipe in his mouth, and muscled, tattooed arms. However, it was a fake movie poster that was created by AI. 

The poster was created by the satirical Facebook page YODA BBY ABY- and the page itself stated in its profile that the post was “100% satire and fake news.” Before Smith, Dwayne Johnson, who has been on record envying Will Smith’s success, was also falsely rumored to have been cast in a Popeye film. But there has been no live-action Popeye film that went underway in recent years. This was not the only time the rapper-turned-actor got stuck in the realm of viral misinformation.

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Smith recently debunked a major rumor about himself and the notorious Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs that has been making the rounds on the internet for a while now. 

The infamous Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs case sparked a lot of theories, speculations and allegations across social media. And Will Smith was one of the many big names who found himself amid the speculative accusations. During a recent show in San Diego, the actor finally decided to address the rumors of his association with Diddy and his infamous parties. “I don’t have –it to do with Puffy,” Smith told the audience. 

Will Smith also made it clear that he had no connections whatsoever with Diddy’s parties either and was frustrated to see such misinformation spread across the internet. “Stop all of that bull–it,” the 56-year-old warned. Nonetheless, as long as internet exists, such misleading and false content will be par for the course for celebrities. 

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What do you think about Will Smith’s fake Popeye the Sailor Man rumors? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!