Hollywood commitments are holding back AEW star's return

Adam Copeland hasn't been seen on AEW programming since breaking his foot at Double or Nothing. He suffered the injury when jumping off a cage to put Malakai Black through a table. Yes, it was a risky move, but at the time, it resonated with the crowd and made for a big moment in the match. 

According to PWInsider, Copeland has been physically cleared to return to in-ring action. However, Hollywood commitments are delaying his return. Copeland is currently working with Disney for the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series.

AEW currently has multiple members of its roster working on movie or television projects in Hollywood. While losing those talents from weekly programming is a blow, the exposure the brand will get because of those projects is worth being without some of its top stars for the short term. 

With every major production an AEW wrestler participates in, it's a way of reaching a new audience. It's a way of mainstreaming the company without spending significant amounts of cash or changing how programming is produced. It's also showing up-and-coming talent that you can make it big with AEW if you put the work in and perform at an elite level.

Most importantly, AEW talent in Hollywood helps bridge the gap with WWE. It's often viewed that wrestlers become superstars by joining the leading company and then leveraging their fame into movie roles and television spots. 

In fairness, Copeland is a WWE product, but he's flying the flag for Tony Khan's company. So, even if we don't see Copeland back in the ring until 2025, it's worth remembering that, in his own way, he's out there promoting AEW to the masses.