Paul Wight isn’t done with Captain Insano just yet, and apparently this isn’t another one of those ideas that gets teased and then quietly disappears. More than 25 years after The Waterboy introduced the ridiculous character to the world, Wight says he’s still putting in the work to bring him back properly.
Speaking to Going Ringside, Wight was asked about Captain Insano, the character he played in Adam Sandler’s 1998 movie The Waterboy. The interviewer jokingly brought him up during a conversation about bad wrestling gimmicks, and Wight immediately made it clear that Captain Insano does not belong in that category.
“You’re not going to say it’s bad.”
Once Captain Insano’s name came up, Wight confirmed that plans for the character are still being worked on. He also made it sound like this is something he’s taking a hell of a lot more seriously than simply throwing on the old costume for a quick laugh.
“You son of a gun. Captain is a lot of fun. We’re still working on that, actually. I have a lot of fun with it. Of course, that character was iconic in the movie The Waterboy. I’m going through a lot of hard work to bring that character out, to present that character in its best possible format.”
That “still working on that” part is pretty interesting because Wight has been teasing a proper Captain Insano comeback for a while now. AEW even filed a trademark for the character back in January 2025 covering merchandise, action figures, live and televised appearances and wrestling-related entertainment.
Captain Insano hasn’t exactly been completely locked away since The Waterboy either. Wight previously brought the character into AEW through The Acclaimed’s music video and an MJF and Adam Cole skit, while Captain Insano also popped up during the Country Music Awards in 2024.
Wight has also talked about getting himself physically ready for a bigger return. He previously explained that weight loss and cardio were part of the process, while joking that Captain Insano’s old star-covered outfit might need a bit of an upgrade if he comes back.
“We might need to update the uniform, though. I don’t know. The stars are cool, but we need to update the gear somehow. So, we’ll work on it.”
There’s still no date for when Captain Insano might actually show up again or exactly what Wight has planned for him. But this clearly hasn’t been forgotten, and Wight’s comments make it sound like he wants the comeback to be more than a cheap nostalgia cameo when it finally happens.
What would you actually want to see Paul Wight do with Captain Insano if the character makes a full comeback? Let us know what you think in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
