WWE Stars Who Will Disappear After WrestleMania 42

WrestleMania 42 is fast approaching, and for WWE's top Superstars it serves as the annual stage to showcase their skills and further cement their legacies.

However, some will disappear from WWE TV shortly after the final bell for a variety of reasons.

Some will pursue other opportunities, some will continue to exercise the "part-time" status of their contracts, and others will return to the creative abyss they found themselves in before they got the call to perform on the grand stage.

Who is who and into which category do they fall? Let's take a look.

Drew McIntyre

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Drew McIntyre will not be disappearing from television because of a part-time contract or a lack of creative attention. Instead, the former WWE champion will step out of the wrestling spotlight to pursue a film career.

BodySlam+ on Patreon reported that McIntyre will be taking time off to film the upcoming major motion picture adaptation of Highlander, starring alongside fellow former WWE champion Dave Bautista, as well as Henry Cavill and Russell Crowe.

It is a major opportunity for the Scot and an opportunity to come back fresh and ready to contribute in a significant way when WWE is building toward SummerSlam.

McIntyre's hiatus means a victory over Jacob Fatu at The Showcase of the Immortals is unlikely. However, a revenge tour upon his return could make for some fun television as an angry Scottish Warrior is always a compelling watch.

Rusev

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Rusev has done nothing wrong to end up on this list. He has risen to the occasion, performed up to the moment and proved himself in the ring since his return to WWE the night after last year's WrestleMania.

The problem is that The Bulgarian Brute has been off television in any meaningful way for so long that it is a surprise he made the 'Mania card at all, especially in a multi-man ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship.

There is nothing about the way he has been handled creatively to this point that suggests he will somehow emerge from this year's show with momentum and ready to remain an integral part of the company's television product.

Rusev will likely show out at WrestleMania, especially as the lone powerhouse currently slated for the bout. Heis more than capable from an in-ring ability perspective.

Unfortunately, there is little proof he is a creative priority for WWE now or later.

Pat McAfee

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Sigh...

Pat McAfee returned to WWE TV Friday night on SmackDown as Randy Orton's new associate in his rivalry with Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship and TKO's answer to slower ticket sales for this year's WrestleMania.

Linking up with The Viper, then cutting an over-the-top promo about how the current state of wrestling—including the show he was appearing on at that moment—is bad and everything from the Attitude Era is better, McAfee's appearance did not impress.

While he figures to be a significant part of the buildup to The Showcase of the Immortals, do not expect him to be around for the long term.

Given he has competed before, most notably against Gunther at last year's Backlash, perhaps McAfee gets a one-on-one match with Rhodes in the weeks after WrestleMania. A tag team match, if nothing else.

After that, expect the shelf life of this incarnation of McAfee's character to run its course and for the ESPN personality and College Gameday panelist to return to the worldwide leader in short order, or so help wrestling fans all.

Brock Lesnar

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If Brock Lesnar loses to Oba Femi, he will step away from WWE television to regroup and recover, then return when it is time to set up his next program.

If he defeats The Ruler, Lesnar will still disappear from television, only to return when it is time to put Femi over in a big-money rematch.

Regardless of which plays out, The Beast Incarnate will not have a prominent presence on WWE television coming out of the biggest show of the year.

That is not necessarily a bad thing, either. The biggest thing Lesnar has to offer the company at this point is that he is an attraction in WWE today.

Not overexposing him is to everyone's benefit. Popping up for a high-profile, high-stakes program, such as his war with Femi, is the best way to utilize Lesnar.

Roman Reigns

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Roman Reigns may well defeat CM Punk for the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania 42 and regain a top title in WWE.

Even if he does leave Las Vegas with the top prize on Raw, though, he is going to disappear from WWE television in short order.

The Tribal Chief is not going to allow a little thing like a championship run get in the way of his contractually negotiated dates. Like Lesnar, Reigns is an attraction. He comes in and out of WWE, props up big matches, boosts ticket sales and television ratings, propels overarching storylines forward when applicable, and returns to the sidelines until he is needed next.

That is not a knock against The OTC, though, it is just a reality.

Reigns will be gone until it is time to build to the next major premium live event, at which point he will explode back onto the scene and target the Superstar(s) who have drawn his ire or are challenging for his title.