Roman Reigns’ Status for This Week’s SmackDown Revealed

Roman Reigns won’t be making his return to WWE television just yet.

Despite wrapping up his filming commitments for the Street Fighter movie, Fightful Select reports that the Tribal Chief is not expected to appear on this week’s episode of WWE SmackDown.

Reigns has been off television since Clash in Paris, focusing on his role as Akuma in the upcoming Street Fighter film. Production has kept him in Australia for several weeks, but according to PWInsider, that’s all coming to a close—Reigns is scheduled to finish filming tomorrow.

Fans got an early look at Reigns as Akuma, which instantly set the internet on fire. The powerful visual of the former Undisputed WWE Universal Champion transforming into the iconic Street Fighter villain was enough to stir major anticipation around his performance.

The film is being produced by Paramount Pictures and Legendary and is slated to hit theaters on October 16, 2026. Roman Reigns joins a stacked cast that also features Cody Rhodes as Guile, marking a rare WWE crossover into mainstream Hollywood in major roles.

Even though Reigns is set to wrap filming, he won’t be back on WWE TV just yet. Fightful Select confirmed the update. “He’s not expected to be on SmackDown this week.”

Reigns is still advertised for WWE Crown Jewel in Perth, Australia, so his in-ring return isn’t far off. But for now, fans will have to wait a little longer to see him back on the blue brand.

Are you excited for Roman Reigns’ return to SmackDown, or more hyped about his Akuma debut in Street Fighter? Drop your take in the comments below.