10 Failed AEW Experiments
2. Cody Rhodes, Unaware Villain
When AEW came on the air for the first time, Cody Rhodes was the biggest face of the company.
As things progressed, fans went from a little tired of Cody’s schtick to downright exhausted. Three years as The American Nightmare had turned the crowd sour. Worst of all, Cody’s presence was starting to feel pompous. He was often away from the company to work on television appearances, and when he was on Dynamite he had the single most bombastic entrance on the roster.
Fans booed Cody routinely, even at his most theoretically sympathetic moments. The debate began whether the unbreakable heroic nature was all part of a story. Was Cody self-aware enough and now playing it all up for the boos? Was he going to become a Homelander-esque character who was oblivious to how he was, indeed, the villain?
Many people thought this was asking too much of Cody and these people were vindicated. The American Nightmare's interviews and promos that said he was a good guy who wouldn’t turn heel which turned out to be the case. The EVP left AEW before the hypothetical story many had speculated on bore hypothetical fruit.
Whilst Cody returned to the WWE as a megastar and the company’s top babyface, it’s a shame fans will never get to see the potential of unaware heel Rhodes that many had pictured in their heads.