Should Cody Rhodes Turn Heel At WWE WrestleMania?

Ever since making his memorable return to the company at WrestleMania 38 in 2022, Cody Rhodes has gone on to become arguably one of the most successful pure babyfaces in decades. The American Nightmare immediately assumed a spot at the top of the card. That was something he strived for but never achieved throughout his initial run with the promotion, which originally ended in 2016.

After helping form AEW and causing a stir in the wrestling business unlike anything seen since the 1990s, the Georgia native made his triumphant return home. He quickly went on to become the biggest star in the entire company. Rhodes has headlined each of the last three WrestleManias. He faced Roman Reigns in back-to-back blockbusters in 2023 and 2024, before losing the title to the veteran John Cena in Las Vegas last year.

However, fast forward to 2026, and the landscape looks much different for the former two-time WWE Champion. For the first time since returning to the company four years ago, fan reaction seems to have shifted significantly. He is now garnering a mixed response from the WWE fans, akin to the polarizing reactions John Cena received throughout his long run at the top of the mountain.

To make matters worse, Rhodes recently surrendered his WWE Championship to Drew McIntyre on the January 9 episode of SmackDown. Even in defeat, the WWE fans have failed to rally behind The American Nightmare as the creative team might have expected. With boos already ringing down in arenas around the world, observers are left wondering if the time has come to pull the trigger on a Rhodes heel turn.

All year long, it seemed as though the creative staff was gearing up for the third installment of Roman Reigns versus Cody Rhodes on the grandest stage of them all. The last two times these two superstars closed out the biggest show of the year, they did incredible numbers in terms of revenue and viewership. Reigns upset the odds to retain his title in Los Angeles in 2023, only for Rhodes to get his redemption a year later in Philadelphia.

When the Original Tribal Chief was installed as an overwhelming betting favorite to win the Royal Rumble last month, it seemed as though that was the clear plan. Online betting sites had Reigns installed as a heavy frontrunner to reign supreme, with his closest rival trailing far behind. A small wager on Reigns winning the Rumble would have paid out minimally, while the same bet on the next best-priced star would have yielded a substantial return.

Reigns duly won the Rumble match, outlasting 29 other men to officially punch his ticket to the main event of WrestleMania 42. With many fans assuming Rhodes would reclaim the WWE Championship from McIntyre to set up the trilogy with Reigns, the company swerved the audience completely. Instead, Reigns unexpectedly opted to face World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk at WrestleMania 42 in a major stadium clash. That choice leaves Rhodes in a very precarious position.

The obvious option now seems to be Rhodes attempting to reclaim the WWE Championship from McIntyre at WrestleMania 42. That specific match will almost certainly not be the main event, with Punk versus Reigns preferred for the closing spot. Even if that is the final plan, the creative team has a very real problem on its hands regarding the live crowd response.

The American Nightmare is no longer garnering the universally positive reactions from the WWE fans that he once did. When he embarked on those back-to-back main events opposite the leader of The Bloodline, Rhodes was the beloved hero attempting to reclaim the title from a dictatorial champion. Now, even though champion McIntyre is portrayed as the villain and challenger Rhodes as the hero, the crowds simply aren’t responding in kind.

They now boo Rhodes on a regular basis, and the most likely reason for that negative reaction is heavy overexposure. He has been a reliable cornerstone of the programming for the last four years, featuring prominently on SmackDown while closing out most premium live events. Over time, that constant presence naturally gets stale for the viewing audience.

Add to that the fact that there has been very little character development since he made his triumphant return in Dallas four years ago. All roads are seemingly pointing in one inevitable direction for the popular superstar. Surely the only logical option from here is turning Rhodes into a full-fledged villain on television.

What better way to execute that change than on the grandest stage of them all in Las Vegas? WWE board member Dwayne Johnson famously pushed for a Rhodes heel turn in the build-up to last year’s WrestleMania, only for Rhodes to politely reject the creative proposal. Instead, John Cena unexpectedly turned to the dark side in a genuine shocker before going on to claim the title from Rhodes.

Now, it seems to be Cody’s turn to embrace the hate. A potential heel turn would solve many problems the writers are currently facing with his character trajectory. Rhodes is already getting booed by the WWE fans, so it makes perfect sense to lean into that organic reaction as opposed to forcing a sympathetic hero character down their throats.

A turn would also give Rhodes the chance to give his presentation a long-overdue facelift. He could perhaps even attempt to create the long-awaited ‘CodyLander’ villain persona, which is heavily inspired by the hit television show “The Boys” and the ruthless Homelander character. The company has multiple options right now to freshen up his weekly segments.

Completing the heel turn is undoubtedly better than allowing Rhodes to get even staler, which could result in an apathy that he may never fully recover from. Before Rhodes can even think about his character alignment at WrestleMania 42, he must secure his spot on the card. He will step inside the unforgiving steel structure tonight at the Elimination Chamber premium live event in Chicago. Rhodes will battle Randy Orton, LA Knight, Je’Von Evans, Trick Williams, and Logan Paul in the Men’s Chamber match. The ultimate winner will officially earn the right to challenge McIntyre for the Undisputed WWE Championship in Las Vegas.

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