Moana 2 finally shows Maui using one of his greatest superhuman abilities after he sang about it in his most iconic musical number in the first film. After Maui quickly became a fan-favorite character in Moana, it would’ve made sense for him to play a much more prominent part in the sequel. But Maui has disappointingly limited screen time in Moana 2. He doesn’t become a major part of the story until halfway through, when the movie is already well underway.
If Moana 2 had been developed as a traditional sequel, then Maui surely would’ve had a much bigger role. But it began its life as a streaming series, which likely couldn’t afford the services of Dwayne Johnson until a later episode (if at all). Maui will likely have a lot more screen time in Moana 3 to make up for his reduced role in Moana 2. While his role in Moana 2 is limited, he does do some awesome stuff with the screen time he does have; Maui shows off one of his best powers near the end.
Maui Actually Pulls An Island Out Of The Ocean In Moana 2’s Ending
Maui Raises Motufetu Above The Surface Of The Water
The story of Moana 2 sees the тιтle character being chosen by the ocean to break the curse on the legendary sunken island of Motufetu. Along the way, she enlists the help of Maui. When Nalo realizes Maui is using his magic hook to bring the island back, he strips Maui of his demigod powers. Near the end of Moana 2, Maui regains his powers and uses those powers to finally raise Motufetu back above the surface of the water. He never used this ability before, but he did mention it in one of the original Moana’s best songs.
Maui Sings About His Island Pulling Abilities In “You’re Welcome”
“You’re Welcome For The Islands I Pulled From The Sea”
While Maui never pulled an island out of the ocean before, he did mention his ability to do so in the first Moana movie. Maui’s most iconic song from Moana, “You’re Welcome,” establishes his arrogance. Moana initially tracks down Maui to scold him for stealing Te Fiti’s heart, but he ᴀssumes she’s a reverent fan who wants to thank him for all his godly efforts, so he sings a song bragging about all the magical things he’s done.
“You’re Welcome” reached number 83 on the Billboard H๏τ 100.
During the song, Maui says, “So what can I say except you’re welcome / For the islands I pulled from the sea.” This lyric teased that Maui was capable of pulling an entire island out of the ocean, but the movie never showed him doing so. In Moana 2, he finally lives up to the promise of that line and shows off one of his most impressive powers.
