Backstage Update On Samoa Joe's Planned AEW Absence

Following his loss to Will Ospreay at AEW Double or Nothing 2026, many fans wondered what the next move for Samoa Joe would be. The answer was revealed on the May 27 episode of "AEW Dynamite" where Joe, flanked by The Opps, revealed that he would actually be stepping away from the company for a few months as he has some filming obligations he needs to complete, leaving Hook in charge of the group while he's gone.

F4WOnline were able to provide a more detailed update on Joe's absence following "Dynamite," stating that the "Samoan Submission Machine" will be filming the third season of "Twisted Metal," where the AEW star plays Sweet Tooth the clown. Filming for the show will take place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, and it will start on June 15. The schedule F4WOnline reported was that filming would last up until August 26, meaning that Joe could potentially be back in the company by the AEW All In London pay-per-view at Wembley Stadium, which takes place on August 30. With the filming taking place in Canada, there is also an outside chance that Joe could make a cameo appearance of sorts at the inaugural AEW Redemption pay-per-view as that show takes place in Montreal on July 26. However, that is less likely than a return at Wembley.

Joe had only recently returned to AEW after missing three months of action due to an injury he suffered while training, which many believed to be a concussion as the company placed him in its concussion protocol in the weeks that followed. He returned to action on the April 22 episode of "Dynamite" and was entered into the Owen Hart Foundation Tournament shortly after. However, as mentioned earlier, he was defeated by Will Ospreay at Double or Nothing and was eliminated from the tournament in the process.