Cody Rhodes, currently basking in his WrestleMania 40 victory over Roman Reigns and holding the top championship in WWE, has addressed ongoing speculation among fans regarding a potential heel turn. The American Nightmare, who has maintained a face persona since his return in 2022, recently appeared on The Pivot to discuss fan expectations and the complexities of portraying a villainous character in today’s wrestling landscape.
Acknowledging the growing chorus of fans calling for a character shift, Rhodes expressed caution about the implications of such a decision:
“There’s a beauty if you can commit to being a bad guy. It’s a unique space creatively. You’ve gotta be really vulnerable and open, and you’ve gotta be blood-hungry in terms of how you are on the microphone. There’s this growing sect of fans that wants to see that happen for me at some point, and I understand the links…I don’t know if they know what they’re asking for. If you’re really wishing for that, it’s scorched earth.”
Rhodes emphasized the demanding nature of portraying a convincing heel, highlighting the need for authenticity and commitment to the character:
“Then you might be, ‘We don’t like that. No, that’s rude to that group of people.’ No, no. That’s the job. Someone’s gonna come out here and beat me up in a minute. Before they do, I’m gonna talk my trash, and that’s the thing. You have to really go scorched earth. In 2024, that is hard. That is hard for anyone to understand that you’re not meant there to be cool, you’re not meant there to be the next Rock. You’re meant there to be a bad guy or a bad girl.”
Meanwhile, in a playful nod to pop culture, Cody Rhodes recently took on a persona reminiscent of Homelander from the hit series “The Boys.” In a promotional commercial, Rhodes embraced his inner superhero persona, drawing parallels with the iconic character from the Amazon Prime show.
As speculation continues to swirl around Cody Rhodes’s future character development in WWE, fans are left intrigued by his comments and the potential direction of his storyline. With his current status as WWE’s top champion and premier babyface, any shift in character would undoubtedly spark significant debate among the WWE Universe.
