Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has finally addressed why he was absent during the build-up to the highly anticipated WrestleMania 41 match between John Cena and Cody Rhodes, as well as why he did not appear at WWE's grandest event of the year. His reason was straightforward: it simply did not make sense for his “Final Boss” persona.

Appearing via video on The Pat McAfee Show, Johnson explained that his narrative arc had reached a satisfying conclusion following the dramatic events at Elimination Chamber in March, where John Cena shockingly turned on Cody Rhodes — an action seemingly orchestrated by The Rock himself.

"Once the turn was made, it was up to John and Cody to build and crush that story," Johnson said. "I felt my work was done. For the Final Boss, it did not feel right to remain involved."

Reflecting on the creative direction, Johnson revealed that once the plan had been executed, he decided to step away completely to allow the focus to remain on Cena and Rhodes. “I knew then the best thing for the Final Boss — we’ve established this idea with Cody’s soul and can always come back to it — I did feel and made the call that I don’t want to be involved in that. Let the Final Boss step back into the shadows and let all the spotlight go to John. Let it go to Cody. Let’s not make it about John’s soul or Cody’s soul. Let’s let them do what they do,” he stated.

After the Elimination Chamber event, Johnson contacted both Cena and Rhodes to let them know he believed they had just delivered one of the greatest angles in wrestling history, second only to Hulk Hogan’s infamous heel turn.

While he praised the ending of the match at WrestleMania, Johnson admitted there were aspects of the journey to that finish he would have “adjusted and finessed,” though he chose not to elaborate. He also shared that he could have been involved in the climax but consciously stepped back, questioning what the narrative payoff would be if he did insert himself. With several other commitments in play, Johnson opted not to overstep.

“Why get involved in that finish when the spotlight should just be on, in my opinion, John, 17, heel champion, what does 2025 look like if this man is saying he’s going to ruin professional wrestling? That to me is the anchoring storyline,” he explained. Johnson also revealed that the storyline involving Cody’s soul is far from over, hinting at future developments. He shared that Seth Rollins even texted him to say, “when it’s time, his soul is for sale.”

Johnson was also surprised and amused by the unexpected appearance of rapper Travis Scott at WrestleMania. “The moment I saw Travis, I knew that immediately amplifies the Final Boss. They (the fans) were waiting,” he said. McAfee revealed he had been texting with Johnson, expecting him to show up when Scott appeared.

One of the more fascinating backstage revelations involved TKO executive Ari Emanuel. Johnson disclosed that about a month prior to Elimination Chamber, Emanuel personally reached out and asked him to appear at the show. Emanuel was reportedly concerned about sluggish ticket sales and wanted to elevate the event at Toronto’s Rogers Centre beyond merely being a pit stop on the road to WrestleMania.

Johnson said he had a phone conversation with Emanuel, Nick Khan, and Paul Levesque where they brainstormed creative options. Johnson later returned with the concept that the Final Boss character is not motivated by titles or money but by the souls of his adversaries — specifically, whether Cody Rhodes would metaphorically “sell his soul” to him. Johnson found the idea compelling and believed many fans secretly hoped Rhodes would go through with it.

As WrestleMania drew near, Levesque proposed a heel turn for Cena, an idea Johnson fully supported. Cena, who ultimately agreed, expressed a desire to ground his turn in the complex fan reactions — a mix of cheers and boos — that he has experienced throughout his 25-year career.

Johnson emphasized that his primary concern was not about Cena, but about Cody Rhodes and the story they had built around him. “The kind of babyface he is… if done right, Cody has another incredible run as a babyface in him — and an unheard of one as a heel,” Johnson concluded.

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