Update On If Vince McMahon Will Return As On-Air WWE Character

Vince McMahon announced his retirement from WWE in July 2022, and, as we know, that did not last very long. McMahon reinstated himself to WWE's Board of Directors as the Executive Chairman to kick off the new year looking to potentially explore a sale of the company. His return has naturally led to concerns from talent and fans alike that he may just pick up where he left off upon his exit, once again taking the reins on WWE's creative direction. WWE Chief Content Officer Paul "Triple H" Levesque has since squashed those rumors, noting that he remains in control of WWE's creative direction.

But even as that idea has been tabled — for now — what about the idea of Vince McMahon once again showing up on-screen during WWE programming. After all, the 30th-anniversary episode of "WWE Raw" is right around the corner. In fact, during a recent interview with "The Bill Simmons Podcast," WWE CEO Nick Khan was asked if McMahon was planning a return to television or storylines as we gear up for WrestleMania 39. "Not at this moment," Khan said. "No is the answer to that question. Could it change in a few months? Sure, it could change. But that would be Paul [Levesque] and Vince being on the same page about it. I don't see it right now."

McMahon was regularly featured on television a year ago going into WrestleMania 38 where he ended up competing in an unadvertised match against Pat McAfee. He was also on the receiving end of a Stone Cold Stunner by an on-the-scene Steve Austin. When hush-money and sexual misconduct allegations came out last summer, McMahon stepped down as Chairman and CEO, yet still chose to appear on the June 17 "WWE SmackDown." Opening the show, he took the mic to remind fans of WWE's signature tagline: "Then, Now, Forever and the most important one, Together." After McMahon's announced retirement, Levesque took over WWE creative and brought back more than a dozen talent that had been released during the pandemic.