WWE Meets ReelShort: Chase Mattson & Joe Hendry Break Down 'Agent of Shadows'

Courtesy of Reelshort

What do you think of when someone mentions micro-dramas? Probably some quick-hit romances and different kinds of family sagas (involving mafioso or royalty). But ReelShort and WWE decided to blow the roof off that short-form blueprint. Enter Agent of Shadows, a revolutionary action-comedy series that pairs seasoned vertical drama actors with professional wrestlers such as Joe Hendry, Drew McIntyre, Jacob Fatu and so many others.

Right out of the gate, the series proves that the soap opera, character-driven intensity of wrestling promos and quick-paced, emotionally-filled sessions of vertical storytelling go hand in hand. The Movie Nerds caught up with series lead Chase Mattson, WWE Superstar Joe Hendry, and Senior Executive Producer Jocelyn Zhao to talk about bridging the gap between the squared circle and the smartphone screen, building instant chemistry on set, and creating a whole new realm for short-form entertainment.

Micro-Drama Actor, Chase Mattson ~

Salvatore Cento: Compared to all the other microdrama series that you have starred in - like most recently Bound by Duty and Bound by the Past - in your opinion, what makes the WWE collaboration series so special? How does it stand out in your eyes?

Chase Mattson: Man, I got to say - what doesn’t make it special? Just the ensemble of a cast that we have on this project is unlike anything any micro-drama has done in the past. I think it stands out on its own - to me, personally, I’m calling it The Avengers of the micro-drama world right now. It’s the bar that everybody is now going to have to reach. You go below, you’re not going to -

Cento: See? This makes me excited. I’m an MCU fan. This gets me.

Mattson: So am I! You’ll like the poster. I’ll just say that.

Cento: Out of the three superstars explicitly mentioned in The Hollywood Reporter piece - Drew McIntyre, Joe Hendry and Jacob Fatu - personally, which name are you the most excited to work with?

Mattson: I got to meet all the other guys but I got to work closely with Drew throughout the whole project and he and I just bonded instantaneously - I think within the first thirty seconds we met. We just hit it off right away. We just built that friendship and then towards the end, we just built that brotherhood. We had great improv throughout the whole time and built that very strong chemistry.

Cento: Where was this new and exciting WWE/ Reelshorts collaboration series filmed?

Mattson: We did The Biltmore Hotel in downtown LA and we did the Blue Cloud Ranch in Santa Clarita. That day at the ranch was awesome. I got to say that had to be one of my favorite days when we filmed at Blue Cloud Ranch because I found out that they shot Iron Man there and they shot The Terminal List there as well. Adding to that, I think people will geek out the most when they see who’s on screen that day.

Cento: Did you know much about WWE and the history behind it before filming this micro-drama?

Mattson: I only knew of like The Rock, John Cena, The Undertaker - a few people like that. Even Dave Bautista. I didn’t really follow WWE too much, though. I’m very into football and baseball - and then I have four kids so I’m very into their sports. Once I found out about this project, I went and did research and started watching a lot of WWE matches. When we were on breaks, the guys would show me their clips that they were famous for and what elevated their careers. I saw Joe Hendry playing the guitar, Drew throwing somebody -

Cento: Oh he throws people all the time.

Mattson: Oh, it’s crazy dude!

Cento: Like I mentioned in my first question, you have quite a storied history when it comes to vertical dramas but how did the opportunity to be a part of this WWE centric series get in front of you? Did you have to audition? Were there other actors in the micro drama space clamoring for this role?

Mattson: I’m not sure how that process went on the Reelshort side but I just remember being approached about the role - I had actually inquired about it with my agent beforehand. Delegation then happened and I was handed a direct offer for the role and I was like - oh, ok - awesome.

They got the right guy for the job, I’ll be honest laughs.

Cento: What was your initial reaction to finding out that Reelshort was collaborating with WWE? Better yet, that you had a lead role in the series?

Mattson: I was… really excited. I was really thrilled that it was actually going forward and once I did find out about it and enquired - I knew that I wanted to be a part of it because I knew there was going to be a lot of action. There has to be some comedy of sorts involved because it is WWE. They also have comedy and drama in their world - and we have that in our world. We definitely had to mesh that together and I knew it was going to be an awesome project.

Cento: I’m assuming you have read the script by now. Knowing what’s in store but obviously without revealing any spoilers, how does WWE’s way of telling stories correctly frame into the storytelling ways of a vertical drama?

Mattson: They do the same exact thing we do - they just do it in front of a live audience, we have a camera crew and we can do multiple takes. I was told that WWE - and I thought this was a really good analogy - was it’s the modern day male soap opera. We’re essentially doing our own soap operas over here so I think we have the best of both worlds. You just mix them together and that’s what we have on this project.

Cento: Ooh. Alright - that’s it. Thank you so much, Mr. Mattson. I got all the details I need!

Mattson: Thank you Salvatore, appreciate your time.

WWE Superstar, Joe Hendry ~

Salvatore Cento: Given that this is WWE’s first collaboration with a short-form video streaming service, what was your reaction upon hearing the news that Agent of Shadows was happening - and better yet - that so many stars, such as yourself - were included? How did you end up having a role in it?

Joe Hendry: I was honored to be asked. To me, it’s a testament to the strength of the brand that I’ve built so I was happy to be a part of it. I play myself in the film - which again - I take as a huge compliment. It’s exciting for me because WWE has been at the forefront of changes in media - you can go all the way back to the first Wrestlemania and how that was distributed, all the way to the WWE Network for example. They have also been at the forefront regarding how content is consumed - and so looking at this - you know, short form content - I think it’s cool to be a part of this and I’m excited to see how it develops over time.

Cento: Even though they might be two different spheres of entertainment, both WWE wrestlers and Reel Short actors seek to entertain. As this is your first time in a Reel Short series, has anything from the Reel Short side of things surprised you during the filming process?

Hendry: It’s new for me . . . everything is new and interesting. I love professional wrestling and music. I originally had not thought of getting into movies and things like that - but to be asked - I think, is a huge compliment. 

Having said that, it’s not a shock to me that people who are WWE wrestlers and superstars go on to do well in this medium. We’re so used to having to just go out there and execute it with no retakes. It’s all live. So, we come in prepared. I’m proud of my colleagues and the efforts that we put forth.

Cento: When I interviewed Mr. Chase Mattson a few weeks ago, I asked him about the similarities - if any - between WWE’s way of telling stories and Reelshort’s way of telling stories. He responded and I quote: “They do the same exact thing we do - they just do it in front of a live audience, we have a camera crew and we can do multiple takes. I was told that WWE - and I thought this was a really good analogy - is the modern day male soap opera.” What’s your reaction to that statement? Do you agree, disagree?

Hendry: I don’t think we do the exact same thing, ya know? I think anyone who takes a bump in a professional wrestling ring finds out real fast how difficult becoming a professional wrestler is.

What I do like is when he was talking about the soap opera element of it - I’ve always enjoyed that aspect of professional wrestling. There’s definitely some cross over there. I’m glad to hear him say that because I enjoy those same elements as well. It’s good that he has that understanding. I’m excited to see our audiences cross over.

Cento: Including yourself, there is a large amount of WWE talent in Agent of Shadows. Which name were you the most surprised to see come onto set? Almost like - wow, I didn’t know you had the acting bug.

Hendry: Well, I would say that one of the people that I’m most excited to see in the film is Michael Hayes because he’s such a charismatic individual from a day-to-day perspective, ya know? Not only is he a phenomenal professional wrestler but he’s also someone who is a lot of fun to be around at TV so I’m excited to see him in this form as well.

Cento: Being in that Reel Short space and being a part of something like Agent of Shadows - from your perspective - what are some of the biggest differences between filming something like that and filming a backstage promo or vignette in the world of professional wrestling?

Hendry: Well, I think that - you know, if you’re talking specifically about a backstage promo or a vignette, I’d have to agree with Chase here. It is very similar. Something that I was impressed with when it came to Chase and the other Reel Short actors was that they know how to do things in one take as well. I actually think there’s more similarities there than what we do in the ring - bumps, etc.

Cento: We have seen your rise on the indies and TNA, leading you to become TNA world champion and being the face of the TNA during their collaborations with the WWE. We then saw you become the world champion on NXT upon signing with WWE. Now that you are now a member of the WWE main roster, what’s it like navigating your role and finding your spot on the main roster compared to your runs in TNA and NXT?

Hendry: That’s a great question. Something that I’ve learned from professional wrestling is that each environment that you’re in has a different path to victory and you have to figure that out over time. But what I will say is that if you continually become better in the ring, improve your physique, improve your promo skills, maintain your professionalism and maintain your ability to promote yourself - only good things are going to happen.

I have to figure out what the path to victory for me is. It always takes me time to do that but what I can always do is improve in the areas that I mentioned. That, at the end of the day - is what is going to carry me to championships on the main roster. I’m in the middle of that challenge and I look forward to more of that challenge. I think it’s being able to deliver for the company over a long period of time and that’s what I’m looking to do.

I believe that I can be a draw and a top talent for the company . I’ve achieved metrics in the past that demonstrate my ability to do that. I’m acquiring more skills as time goes on to keep on doing that.

Cento: I have to ask. Outside of your current feud with Judgement Day, who would you want to be in a program with next?

Hendry: I think . . . Ethan Page. As much as I hate the guy, I think it would be great television to see us cross paths. I think people would love to see us face each other in the ring.

Cento: Let’s get a little creative for my last question. If you could make a band consisting of past/current wrestlers who would you have and what would they play?

Hendry: Ok, so it’s going to be me as the front man - obviously. I’m going to have Wade Barrett on that guitar.

Now I just want to check the last time this person was on the drums because I don’t want to sign them up for something that they’re not currently doing but one of the most amazing musicians that I know is Alicia Taylor on drums. She’s stepped up and drummed for some huge artists.

So that’s Wade Barrett on guitar, Alicia Taylor on drums - we need a bass player now.

Who would be a great bass guitarist for the band? You know what? I’m going to throw in Trick Williams. He’s not technically a bass player but he’s had some good collaborations with Lil Yachty. I’m not going to count Lil Yachty because I feel like that’s cheating. His entrance song is great. But let’s throw him in there as a good vocalist.

I’ll work on the bassist…if we even need one.

Cento: All right, that’s it. Thank you, Joe Hendry. Thank you so much. To speak with you is a dream come true. Really.

Hendry: Awesome, thank you Salvatore. Appreciate your time, man. Have a great day. Thank you.

Senior Executive Producer on Agent of Shadows, Jocelyn Zhao ~

On what this collaboration between Reelshort and WWE represents: This collaboration represents a groundbreaking shift in entertainment–bringing WWE’s iconic superstars into the ReelShort microdrama ecosystem. Both worlds are driven by the same fundamental narrative DNA: fast-paced, high-stakes storytelling with immediate emotional payoff. By applying our agile, high-efficiency production framework, we adapted our portable filming methodology without ever compromising on movie-grade visual quality. Working closely with WWE talents allowed us to lean into their larger-than-life personas and craft a tailored action-comedy built on genuine character chemistry. Production was simply the engine that brought these two powerful storytelling universes into perfect alignment.

On how this collaboration set a new standard for micro-drama storytelling: This collaboration is far more than a typical brand crossover, it was a meeting of two creative forces that share the exact same storytelling DNA. What ReelShort brought to the table was a precise, highly systematic production engine designed to execute fast, high-impact stories at an elevated visual standard. Behind the scenes, our production team put immense effort into building a creative framework that allowed these two worlds to align effortlessly. WWE and ReelShort both speak the language of immediate emotional connection, and working with their team felt like reuniting with a long-lost creative family. The mutual trust, support, and non-stop flow of wild creative energy on set made this an absolute career highlight for our crew.

On what makes Agent of Shadows so special: What made this project special on set was how seamlessly our rapid production style clicked with the talents. WWE performers are world-class at immediate storytelling and physical charisma. From day one, we worked to align our script and performance beats with their authentic personas, from their wrestling roots to their natural comedic timing. By combining a precisely planned creative blueprint with the flexibility of our portable production model, we were able to capture spontaneous, high-energy action-comedy that feels both fresh and elevated for audiences on both sides.

Sparks were flying in every direction during brainstorming and shooting. When two teams share such a deep narrative intuition, production ceases to be just a process, it becomes a celebration of genuine creative synergy.

 Agent of Shadows will be available to stream on ReelShort on October 23.