As if there was any doubt, Bray Wyatt's return worked out very well.
WWE sources that we spoke with said that Wyatt's return was very well received, and that they were very happy with the buzz created in the weeks leading up to WWE Extreme Rules with the QR codes and cryptic videos. Several WWE sources had been playing up Extreme Rules as a "big night" to media ahead of the weekend.
As early as one week after Vince McMahon's retirement, members of the new WWE regime told Fightful they felt optimistic about Wyatt's return. A full month before Wyatt returned to WWE, one WWE source was completely convinced that Wyatt was back with WWE and heading back. Several that are usually in the know were kept out of the loop about the context of the White Rabbit videos until the week before the reveal. Some of the references had to be approved, but standard WWE creative were largely hands off.
It's worth noting that the returning Bray Wyatt has a very good relationship with WWE's new Director of Longterm Creative, Rob Fee. Fee had even pitched a Fiend movie directly to Nick Khan last year before Wyatt's release.
We've heard the plans were in the works for a while, but firm ones weren't set. The creator of Bray's masks also made the Black Phone mask, which is how they could use that.
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