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The Rock’s WWE Return In Doubt Due To Major Reason

By Lyle Kilbane • Published Sep 02, 2025 09:10 EDT
The Rock

WWE fans should not expect to see The Rock back in a wrestling ring anytime soon, and here’s why.

The last time WWE fans got a taste of The Rock was all the way back at Elimination Chamber, where he presided over John Cena’s sensational heel turn. The Final Boss, Cena, and rap star Travis Scott all helped lay waste to Cody Rhodes before Cena challenged him for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 41.

At WrestleMania, John Cena defeated Rhodes to win the 17th WWE Title of his illustrious career. Many fans expected The Rock to be on hand to help Cena pick up the win, but instead, it was left to Travis Scott, with The Great One conspicuous by his absence.

Throughout 2025, The Rock has been concentrating on rebuilding his Hollywood career in a different vein. He has received critical acclaim for his role in The Smashing Machine, where he portrays troubled UFC pioneer Mark Kerr. The Rock got emotional during a prolonged standing ovation for the film, and he is considered a serious contender for an Oscar nomination.

The Rock Working With Martin Scorsese

While that movie is now in the can, it seems there’s another project that’s going to be keeping The Rock away from wrestling as he gets set to team up with legendary director Martin Scorsese. PWInsider has reported that fans shouldn’t expect to see The Rock in WWE anytime soon:

Given that he’s prepping to film a new movie with legendary director Martin Scorsese as well, it’s probably fair to say Johnson isn’t seeking to return to the ring anytime soon.

The project is said to be a crime drama described as “Goodfellas meets The Departed.” Goodfellas was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar while The Departed went one better and won that top prize in 2007. Interestingly, Joe Pesci won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in Goodfellas, while Mark Wahlberg was nominated in the same category for his turn in The Departed. If The Rock wants to guarantee his name is on the Oscar list, then there is perhaps no better director for him to work with.