Tony Khan has officially addressed Adam Copeland’s absence from AEW, confirming that the former world champion is currently away due to filming commitments.

Copeland was written off television following AEW All Out on September 20, 2025, where he and Christian Cage defeated FTR. The victory quickly turned chaotic when FTR attacked Copeland’s wife, Beth Phoenix, delivering a brutal spiked piledriver. Later backstage, a furious and emotional Copeland announced he was stepping away from AEW indefinitely, saying the feud had crossed the line into his personal life.

While the storyline exit was dramatic, PWInsider later revealed that it was designed to allow Copeland to pursue an acting opportunity. In a new interview with Z100 New York, Tony Khan confirmed the reports, revealing that Copeland is currently filming the next season of Disney+’s Percy Jackson & the Olympians, where he plays Ares, the God of War.

Khan emphasized that Copeland remains an important member of the AEW roster and that his return is expected once filming wraps.

“Adam Copeland’s a huge part of AEW. Adam’s out filming right now. He’s a huge star in AEW. We love having Adam Copeland, The Rated-R Superstar in AEW and I’m excited for him to be back in AEW, hopefully soon after this project is done, and he’s taking care of business and then Adam will come back and we’ll get Adam Copeland taking care of the business in the ring in AEW.”