Roman Reigns, one of WWE‘s most prominent figures, is gradually shifting his focus from wrestling to a Hollywood career. With fewer appearances in WWE due to health concerns and a reduced schedule, his move toward acting seems increasingly certain.
Reigns returned to WWE briefly in mid-April for the first time since WrestleMania 41, but his involvement has not been as frequent as before. This change coincides with his budding film career, which started gaining momentum following his role in the Fast and Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw.
The Growing Hollywood Opportunities for Roman Reigns
Although acting opportunities have been limited so far, Roman Reigns is beginning to secure more roles. He has been cast as Akuma in the upcoming live-action Street Fighter movie and recently appeared in Amazon Prime Video’s action comedy The Pickup.
The Pickup’s director, Tim Story, shared his positive experience working with Reigns during an interview with Screen Off Script. Story described their initial interaction over Zoom and how Reigns’ presence made a strong impression.
“It was fantastic. We did a zoom and just discussed what the role could be and we just hit it off. When we were able to figure out his schedule and get him in here, it was really cool. Just in the small scene that you saw, I think you can see that this guy could be a star, man. He’s got some presence. I don’t want to say I was surprised, but it’s one of those things where you smile and go, ‘This guy could be a star, man,'” he said. —Tim Story, Director
When asked about Reigns’ transition from wrestling to movies, Story called it “inevitable” and felt the WWE superstar should be starring in films more often.
“I think one, it’s inevitable and two, it’s time. Just in my small time working with him, this guy, I mean he’s incredible. So, I think, I’m almost a little bit like, ‘What took so long?’ Like now that I know him and know what he can do. He should be making movies,“ he said. —Tim Story, Director
In The Pickup, Roman Reigns has a cameo as an MMA champion involved in a photoshoot with money that a criminal mastermind, played by Keke Palmer, aims to steal. According to Tim Story, Reigns focusing more on his Hollywood career will likely reduce his WWE commitments over time.
Upcoming WWE Appearances Despite Hollywood Pursuits
Despite speculation about his full-time WWE departure, Roman Reigns is still scheduled to appear in upcoming WWE events. On the latest episode of Monday Night RAW, he returned to confront Seth Rollins and his faction after the main event but was ultimately overwhelmed by Bronson Reed and took three strong moves known as Tsunamis.
This segment seemed designed to explain a possible temporary leave from WWE storylines. Nevertheless, Reigns is confirmed to appear on the August 18 edition of RAW in Philadelphia and will also take part in the August 25 RAW event in Birmingham, UK. These appearances are in preparation for the Clash in Paris Premium Live Event.
While Roman Reigns’ Hollywood career transition appears certain, WWE fans can expect to see him featured more regularly in the coming weeks.
