Cody Rhodes Teases Possible MCU Role After Mysterious Visit to Marvel Studios HQ
Could Cody Rhodes be trading the wrestling ring for the Marvel Cinematic Universe? The WWE Superstar and Street Fighter actor has fans wondering if he's about to join the MCU after sharing a photo from Marvel Studios headquarters.
Rhodes recently posted an Instagram Story showing himself at Marvel Studios HQ in Burbank, California. He offered no explanation for the visit, leaving fans to speculate whether he was there for a meeting about a potential role in an upcoming Marvel project.
The timing is interesting because Rhodes has already been linked to Marvel's upcoming X-Men reboot. He previously shared an Instagram Story featuring music from the classic X-Men animated series, which got fans wondering if he might be interested in playing one of Marvel's famous mutants.
Adding to the speculation, a clip from Rhodes' appearance on Andrew Schulz's podcast has been circulating online. In it, the wrestler's reaction to a question from his Street Fighter co-star about Rogue has raised some interest.
Some fans are speculating that he could be playing Cable. Of course, none of this confirms that Rhodes is joining the MCU, but a visit to Marvel Studios certainly gives fans another reason to wonder what he might be up to.
Rhodes wouldn't be the first professional wrestler to make the jump into a major superhero franchise. Dave Bautista found success playing Drax in Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy films, while John Cena brought Peacemaker to life in the DC Universe. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson also took his shot at the superhero genre with DC's Black Adam.
Other WWE stars have come close to joining the MCU. Becky Lynch filmed scenes for Eternals, while Seth Rollins appeared in footage shot for Captain America: Brave New World. Unfortunately, both performances were ultimately cut from their respective films.
Rhodes also has some superhero experience of his own. He appeared in several episodes of The CW's Arrow during its fifth season, playing Derek Sampson, a drug dealer who becomes a dangerous adversary for Oliver Queen.
His interest in Marvel goes back even further. In 2016, Rhodes revealed that he was actively pursuing superhero roles, including Black Bolt in Marvel's Inhumans television series.
Speaking with Bleeding Cool at the time, Rhodes explained: "I will fully disclose that I have been actively pursuing a couple of roles, that being one.
“I now have uprooted, moved to LA, to look into acting more, especially after the Arrow episode and all that. So that would be the world to me if that were to happen. And we're actively looking into it. I'm all about it."
He also shared his enthusiasm for Black Bolt and the character's incredible powers: "I was really excited when I read that they're excited about Inhumans in general. Taking a chance on that.
“That's not something the casual comic reader really knows about, so that's really cool. Plus, Black Bolt is like one of the best characters in all comics. The idea that a simple, spoken word could blow a room up is just… I dig everything that is Black Bolt."
That particular opportunity didn't work out, but Rhodes has continued building his acting career alongside his success in WWE, including his role in the upcoming Street Fighter movie.
Whether his Marvel Studios visit was related to a potential casting opportunity or something else entirely remains a mystery. Still, with Marvel developing its new X-Men movie and Rhodes clearly interested in comic book adaptations, it's easy to see why fans are connecting the dots.
Rhodes certainly has the physical presence and charisma to play a Marvel hero or villain. The big question is whether Marvel Studios has a character in mind for him.
Would you like to see Cody Rhodes join the MCU? If he does land a role, which Marvel character do you think he'd be perfect for? Let us know in the comments!