Cody Rhodes to turn heel when he returns to WWE? Potential hint explored

Former Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes has been absent from the Stamford-based promotion since he lost his title at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. The American Nightmare’s 378-day reign ended with a loss to John Cena, who, on the flipside, etched history by capturing his 17th world title.

The American Nightmare has been on hiatus following his loss. Though there hasn't been any confirmation about his WWE return, Rhodes will likely be part of the upcoming Money in the Bank 2025 PLE.

However, Cody Rhodes could return with an entirely new attitude to WWE. The American Nightmare might return as a heel superstar and could start wiping out competition brutally, being emotionless, before getting his hands on the WWE title. Perhaps he might choose a 'Homelander-esque' gimmick for himself, where he pretends to be a good guy, but behind the curtains, he has the most evil personality.

Rhodes recently hinted at a character change by removing “Quarterback” from his X (formerly Twitter) bio. A heel turn, especially after reports downplayed the possibility, would serve as a perfect shocker to fans.

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Fans and experts have drawn multiple similarities between The Boys’ Homelander and Cody Rhodes' looks and persona. WWE might finally capitalize on it. The American Nightmare turning into a bad guy would also lay seeds for Cena’s face turn before he finally hangs up his boots later this year.

The angle proposed above is speculative, and nothing has been confirmed.

WWE veteran criticizes the company after Cody Rhodes and John Cena missed SmackDown

The anticipation for Cody Rhodes' WWE return was at its peak last week as he was officially advertised for SmackDown on the company’s official site. However, Rhodes remained absent.

While reviewing the latest edition of the blue brand on BroDown with host Mac Davis, former WWE manager, Dutch Mantell expressed that none of the major superstars were on the show, and that they needed some prominent faces as major stars like Cody Rhodes, John Cena, and The Rock are away from SmackDown.

"First of all, they had no stars. You didn't have a Cena, you didn't have a Rock, you didn't have Cody. He (Solo Sikoa) ate the TV up. He just went on and on. I got news for them. That's three hours guys. When are they getting off three hours?" said Mantell.

It will be interesting to see when Rhodes returns to WWE television and if he actually turns heel or chases his title back as a babyface.

About the author

Nayan is a WWE News and Features writer at Sportskeeda Wrestling. After completing his bachelor's degree in Mass Communication from Poddar International, he began working as a YouTube script writer. Nayan then transitioned to Pinkvilla as a combat sports writer. He gained valuable experience there before finally coming under the banner of Sportskeeda.

Within 1.5 years, Nayan has written over 1,000 articles, interviewed MFN promotion owners, and conducted a Twitter campaign that gained over 50k retweets and more. He puts fact-checking and mindful journalism above everything by applying a three-check method, where he tries to verify reports from reliable sources and cross-check whether other major publications have covered them.

Looking back at his association with pro wrestling, Nayan recalls being hooked on the sport after watching Shawn Michael vs. The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. Since then, the product has been an inseparable part of his life.

Apart from The Heartbreak Kid being Nayan's favorite wrestler for his confidence and charisma, he is also a fan of Brock Lesnar due to The Beast's "work speaks louder than words" attitude.

Nayan can be found performing mixed martial arts and reading true crime in his free time.

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Edited by Arsh Das