Paul Heyman Shares Apocalypse Now Inspiration Behind Roman Reigns' Tribal Chief Character

Marlon Brando's incredible performance as Col. Walter Kurtz helped inspire Roman Reigns to be the Tribal Chief, Paul Heyman has revealed. 

In 2020, Reigns turned heel and aligned himself with Paul Heyman, a move that ironically made the Shield alum the most popular he'd been in years. Since then, Reigns has dominated WWE as Universal Champion, a title he unified with the WWE Championship at WrestleMania 38 in 2022. Reigns is currently closing in on 1,300 days as Universal Champion. 

Roman Reigns & Apocalypse Now

Reigns hasn't just dominated WWE's roster, but has dominated his family as the 'Tribal Chief.' In a recent talk at the BSM Summit, Heyman spoke about Reigns and the Hollywood inspiration behind his character. 

"I had Roman Reigns watch ‘Apocalypse Now’ multiple times. To me, that was the heart and soul of the character of the Tribal Chief. A warrior so great that he conquered his own island."

The 1979 film sees Marlon Brando portray Colonel Walter Kurtz, a U.S. military powerhouse who has gone mad and now leads his own tribe deep in the Cambodian jungle. In the interview, Heyman compared Reigns to Brando's gripping rendition of the character.

"Brando presented himself as a pseudo-God. We call it a Tribal Chief. ..That’s where the villainry of Roman Reigns comes in because he says ‘Acknowledge me,’ and [at] once you acknowledge him."