Dwayne Johnson has announced a surprise return to WWE.
“Bold and disruptive. Unpredictable and dangerous. The Final Boss returns,” Johnson, 52, teased via X on Thursday, February 20.
The Fast & Furious star subsequently confirmed on social media that he would be attending WWE SmackDown on the USA Network on Friday, February 21, airing live from the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans.
WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque hinted that Johnson, a.k.a “The Rock,” could have a huge impact on the road to WrestleMania 41, which is taking place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Saturday, April 19, and Sunday, April 20.
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“Strap in,” Levesque warned. “When The Final Boss shows up at this time of year, the audience knows absolutely anything is possible. Everything could change in an instant.”
Johnson continued to hype his unexpected SmackDown appearance on Instagram where he hinted at a showdown with an unnamed WWE superstar.
“The Final Boss is coming to handle business, deliver a big beautiful gift to the city of New Orleans and f— up a certain someone’s life with the Final Boss gospel,” he wrote.
Rumors persist that Johnson could announce on SmackDown that New Orleans will be the site of WWE WrestleMania 42 in 2026.
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Johnson was one of many celebrity guests at WWE’s Monday Night Raw premiere on Netflix on January 6, where he seemingly made peace with WWE Undisputed Champion Cody Rhodes. WWE had hinted at a potential WrestleMania main event match between the pair for this year, though that now seems unlikely due to Johnson’s busy filming schedule.
Also on January’s Netflix premiere, Johnson briefly returned to the ring to celebrate his cousin Roman Reigns‘ victory over archnemesis Solo Sikoa in a “Tribal Combat Match.” Johnson and Reigns teamed together for a victory over Rhodes and Seth Rollins at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia for WrestleMania 40 in April 2024.
Johnson joined the board of directors for WWE’s parent company TKO in January 2024 as part of a deal that also allowed him to gain ownership of his wrestling nickname “The Rock.”
For the last 15 years, Johnson has been focused on his acting career. Earlier in February, Deadline reported that Johnson signed on to star with Leonardo DiCaprio and Emily Blunt in legendary director Martin Scorsese‘s next movie. The untitled crime drama, which is being written by journalist Nick Bilton, takes place in 1960s Hawaii as a ruthless mafia boss battles rivals trying to encroach on his territory.
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Johnson’s MMA drama The Smashing Machine is also coming to theaters later this year, in addition to him reprising his Moana role as the demigod Maui in Disney’s live-action remake of the animated classic, due for release in 2026. Newcomer Catherine Laga‘aia is taking on the title role in the Moana reboot, while John Tui plays Moana’s father, Chief Tui, and Frankie Adams has been cast as Moana’s mother, Sina.
The Rock’s reemergence on WWE TV coincides with his long-time nemesis John Cena‘s retirement tour, which is set to run through the end of 2025. Cena is next expected to wrestle at Elimination Chamber: Toronto at the Rogers Centre on March 1, where he will compete against CM Punk, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Damian Priest and Rollins to earn a championship main event at WrestleMania 41.
WWE SmackDown airs on Fridays at 8p.m. ET on the USA Network.
