It has been widely speculated over the past few weeks that Cody Rhodes might turn heel amid his feud with Drew McIntyre. However, The American Nightmare himself has shared his real feelings about ditching his babyface gimmick to become a villain.
At the height of his rivalry with McIntyre, Rhodes was always on the edge of doing something that didn’t align with his character. The Scottish Psychopath almost pushed him to the edge, which somehow worked in his favor.
McIntyre ended up winning the Undisputed WWE Championship from Rhodes on the January 9 episode of SmackDown in a 3 Stages of Hell match. Jacob Fatu‘s interference cost Rhodes the title, leading to a more complicated story heading into WrestleMania 42.
According to Cory Hays of BodySlam last month, there were no plans to turn Rhodes heel, but he was reportedly set for a “character shift.” The two-time Undisputed WWE Champion has been more intense over the past few weeks.
It was mainly due to McIntyre’s continued meddling in Rhodes’ quest to become the No. 1 contender, including at the Royal Rumble.
Rhodes Makes His Stance Clear on Potential Heel Turn
After weeks of speculation, Cody Rhodes finally made his feelings clear about a possible villainous run in his second stint in WWE. Rhodes appeared on Live with Kelly and Mark and discussed the rise of many babyfaces in the company.
“Just recently, it felt like WWE hit the stride with so much youth in the audience that it felt like babyfaces came back to life,” Rhodes said. “Jey Uso, for example, is somebody that the kids go crazy for. Sami Zayn is out there doing it. And for me to be able to be in that spot, I don’t want to leave it. It’s, it’s so much fun.”
Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported last month that a Rhodes heel turn wasn’t being considered. It’s due to The American Nightmare’s popularity among the majority of the WWE Universe.
Rhodes is among the top merchandise movers in the company, which also prevented John Cena from turning heel at the height of his career.
The Rock Wanted to Turn Rhodes Heel
During last year’s Road to WrestleMania, The Rock brought back The Final Boss character after initially ditching it on Raw’s Netflix debut. John Cena shocked the world by turning heel at Elimination Chamber: Toronto and aligning himself with The Rock and Travis Scott.
According to the Wrestling Observer’s Dave Meltzer back in March 2025, The Rock wanted Cody Rhodes to turn heel and join forces with him. However, many within WWE’s top personnel were reportedly against the idea and pushed back on Rocky’s idea.
Rhodes also turned down the idea, which resulted in Cena’s heel turn, which eventually failed after the initial reaction due to the absence of The Rock after that initial turn in Toronto.
Fast forward to this year’s Road to WrestleMania, Rhodes booked his ticket to Elimination Chamber: Chicago by beating Sami Zayn and Jacob Fatu in a triple threat match on the February 13 edition of SmackDown.
Cody Rhodes Makes Feelings Clear About Rumored Heel Turn