Vince McMahon exposed details about his plan to make Brock Lesnar stutter during character development when Matt Morgan obtained what was originally supposed to be the stuttering gimmick. The information reveals how WWE handled creative processes as well as character development at the start of the 2000s.
During an interview with Jonathan Coachman Morgan shared his experience of working for WWE from 2002 to 2005. McMahon shared his concept of presenting massive wrestlers with a surprising verbal flaw through his detailed explanation. Attracted by the concept McMahon passionately told him to highlight his great height against his stammering speech. McMahon insisted on pursuing his character idea to Morgan despite the actor's previous public speaking experience that made the concept appear illogical. Morgan expressed his doubts by asking McMahon: "With respect sir, I graduated top of my college class and received a public speaking degree." Are you sure?"
The Original Plan for Brock Lesnar
Morgan revealed during the interview that the initial design for this gimmick was intended for Brock Lesnar. McMahon presented Lesnar as a wrestler who would personify a warrior figure with a stutter despite his muscular build. The WWE Chairman shared his plan with Morgan to search for someone who exhibited outstanding physical power and elite body conditioning. The verbal slight imperfection emerged once these wrestlers initiated speech.
Through these creative initiatives Vince McMahon demonstrates his characteristic ability to introduce subtle vulnerabilities into compelling powerful wrestlers in order to genuinely their characters. The Beast Incarnate character WWE later gave to Lesnar became a significant driver of his career success which raises questions about how his career path would have been different if he had received this gimmick at his WWE debut.
The stuttering character made its debut with Morgan through a new persona in 2005. The gimmick failed to catch public attention leading WWE to fire Morgan during that same period. Morgan has noted that his wrestling character failed to succeed because it did not match the audience expectations alongside the wrestling culture during that period.
This insight gives us valuable understanding into the sophisticated creative processes of WWE which shape wrestler characters and demonstrates alternative character storytelling choices that could have altered prominent Superstars' professional paths.