AEW had been teasing the reveal of the Exalted One on their programming for a while and many believed that Matt Hardy will be revealed as the leader of the cult.
However, it didn’t turn out to be the case and former WWE star Brodie Lee was revealed as the leader of the group on the latest episode of Dynamite instead
PWinsider provides some update on the situation. They confirm that Lee was always planned to be revealed as the Exalted One, once the company confirmed that he was free of his contract and will be signing with them.
The officials leaned into the speculations of Hardy being revealed as the leader of the Dark Order to help mask the former Luke Harper’s debut on AEW TV.
The site also notes that everyone who worked this week’s episode of AEW Dynamite did so voluntarily. Tony Khan had already addressed the roster last week and told talents that they can sit out the upcoming shows if they want, without any repercussions.
Everyone who was present at the show including the production staff made the decision to work on the episode themselves and anyone who might have sat out would still be paid as if they worked the tapings.
The current hope within the company is to continue airing shows live every week but it’s not guaranteed in the current situations. The officials also acknowledge the situation and they have worked precautions into this week’s episode of the show.