The Rock has been showing signs of a babyface despite being in his heel persona, ‘

The Final Boss

, ’ ever since making his return to WWE on the RAW on Netflix debut show. But all that can change following his shocking announcement.
The Rock is credited to be one of the biggest WWE superstars of all time. This led to the company bringing him back for the debut episode of Monday Night RAW on Netflix on January 6 in Los Angeles. The Final Boss opened the show and delivered a heart-felt speech in regard to the historic move for the company ushering into the Netflix era.
However, ever since The Rock came back, fans have noticed something different about him. For the last year, The Rock has donned a heel persona, ‘The Final Boss, ’ which was seen to be ruthless, power-driven and relentless, as witnessed on the road to WrestleMania XL. But in his last two appearances at the start of 2025, The Rock has been showing signs of a babyface.
Moreover, it can all change now that The Rock is making his shocking return to SmackDown, as he announced via his X.

While his intentions are yet to be revealed for his return, here are the three reasons WWE possibly decided to go in the babyface direction with The People’s Champion since the start of the Netflix era:

During the early part of 2024, it was heavily speculated that The Rock was already pencilled in for the main event of

WrestleMania 41

in a blockbuster title match against his heated rival, Cody Rhodes. However, a new report by Dave Meltzer stated that the match is no longer happening. This could be the reason The Rock should act well with Cody Rhodes, as seen on RAW on Netflix's debut show. With his Mania match no longer happening, The Final Boss could possibly want to be his real self and respect Rhodes for being the quarterback for WWE since last year.

The Rock has been known to portray various amalgamations of his iconic character since the 1990s. From being Rocky Maivia to The People’s Champion and in 2024, The Final Boss, he is known to be a master of innovation. The Rock coming back as a babyface while still maintaining his heel persona could be the change he did to present another layer of his current Final Boss character to add freshness to his possible next run in WWE.

The WWE Universe has been witnessing a good side of The Final Boss, The Rock, since his return in 2025. However, this could very well be a ruse to set up the dream feud with his iconic cousin, Roman Reigns. While The Rock acknowledged him as the Tribal Chief on RAW on Netflix, all that can change on the road to WrestleMania 41, especially now that The Final Boss is coming back to SmackDown this week. The Rock could choose a perfect moment to betray his cousin and show his true heel colors, possibly setting up the dream showdown between them for WrestleMania.
Also read: The Rock vs. Vin Diesel: How WWE Icon Stacks Up Against Hollywood Rivalries