Roman Reigns may not return to WWE for a while after his SummerSlam match because of one reason

Roman Reigns is set to team up with Jey Uso to take on the monstrous team of Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed – an injured Seth Rollins’ henchmen – at SummerSlam. Having not been seen since the RAW after WrestleMania, when Rollins and Breakker had decimated himself and CM Punk, The Head of the Table returned to a thunderous pop a few weeks ago on RAW to save his former Right-Hand Man, Jey Uso, and Punk too (though the OTC won’t ever admit that) from an assault by Breakker and Reed.

Uso returned the favor the following week, and upon Reigns making an overture to Uso for them to team up at SummerSlam, the former World Heavyweight Champion said “YEET” (yes, that is an actual quote) and Paul Heyman accepted the challenge on Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker’s behalf soon thereafter.

Whether this tag team match had always been the original plan or whether it was altered in some way following Seth Rollins’ seemingly legitimate shoot injury is something we might find out on the next season of WWE Unreal, but WWE is now faced with a bit of an issue, albeit one they face quite often: Roman Reigns is set to once again take a break from wrestling following SummerSlam.

Why is Roman Reigns set to take time off post-SummerSlam?

Roman Reigns is playing Akuma in the upcoming live-action Street Fighter movie. pic.twitter.com/fgmzdS8wX4

— Sportskeeda Wrestling (@SKWrestling_) June 26, 2025

 To clarify, The Tribal Chief is not going on some sort of vacation; Roman Reigns has officially been cast to portray Akuma in the upcoming Street Fighter movie. His selection was confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter and reported across multiple outlets, marking what is expected to be one of his biggest acting roles yet.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, production is set to begin in August 2025 in Australia. Interestingly, the movie will also feature former Undisputed WWE Champion, Cody Rhodes, who will play the role of Guile in the movie. For those wondering, these characters are indeed on the opposite ends of what wrestling fans may call the babyface-heel spectrum.

What exactly is Street Fighter, and what are Roman Reigns and Cody Rhodes’ characters in the upcoming movie?

Street Fighter is a landmark fighting-game franchise developed by Capcom, first released in arcades in August 1987. It later achieved global fame with Street Fighter II (1991), which revolutionized one-on-one competitive combat through its deep mechanics, diverse international roster, and iconic special moves.

Since then, the series has evolved into a multimedia phenomenon, spawning sequels, spin-offs, tournaments, movies, comics, and selling over 50 million units, becoming a foundational pillar of both gaming culture and the global fighting game community.

Roman Reigns transforms into Akuma, fusing the dark Satsui no Hado rage of Akuma with his dominance as The Tribal Chief 🔥@WWERomanReigns pic.twitter.com/UiNUP8Zvx5

— Sportskeeda Wrestling (@SKWrestling_) June 30, 2025

As for Roman Reigns’ character, Akuma is a ruthless martial artist consumed by the dark energy “Satsui no Hadō,” relentlessly pursuing ever‑greater opponents in his quest for perfect power while rejecting conventional morality.

Meanwhile, Guile, set to be played by Cody Rhodes (first reported by Deadline), is a disciplined U.S. Air Force officer turned fighting warrior, driven by vengeance for his fallen comrade Charlie and defined by his stoic all-American “charge” playstyle through signature moves like Sonic Boom and Flash Kick.

How does the Street Fighter movie impact Cody Rhodes’ WWE future?

Given Cody Rhodes’ Undisputed WWE Championship match against John Cena at SummerSlam, the result of that match, once considered a mere formality, now seems to be up in the air, considering that Rhodes may also be off WWE TV post-SummerSlam, while Cena actually will be featured on SmackDown.

With Roman Reigns already confirmed to play Akuma, Cody Rhodes is now confirmed too, as he plays 'Guile' in the upcoming live-action Street Fighter movie! pic.twitter.com/hDbMLWOtJ6

— Sportskeeda Wrestling (@SKWrestling_) July 3, 2025

 So, would it make sense for Cody to win the WWE Championship and then disappear while Cena, having already been a part-time champion, starts showing up frequently post-SummerSlam, but without the title? This situation, by the way, coincides with suggestions and speculation that Rhodes’ time as the full-time face of the company may be coming to an end sooner than fans think.

By the way, with The American Nightmare set to challenge John Cena for the Undisputed Championship in a Street Fight and then set to head to Australia to film the Street Fighter movie, one can expect cross-promotion, as well as wordplay humor, to begin very soon. And Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes III, rumored to be in the works in WWE, may first give us a tease of the renewal of this era’s defining rivalry in the Street Fighter movie.