Cody Rhodes: "I'm Probably At The Tail End [Of My Babyface Run]" (WWE News)
Cody Rhodes teases that a heel turn is in his WWE future.
Nowadays the poster boy of WWE, could Cody Rhodes' time as a babyface be coming to an end? According to the former WWE Champion himself, he certainly sees a heel turn in his not-so-distant future.
Speaking to Kay Adams of Up & Adams at Fanatics Fest this past weekend, Cody was asked whether he gets tired of being perceived as the "nice guy."
As the American Nightmare explained:
"I don't ever get tired of it, because you get to have all of this and these moments. I do think we're probably at the tail end of it, though. There's only so much someone can like you. I would love to do it until the end of my career, but there's only so much, 'Alright, we do his Woah, we cheer for him.' At a certain point, they want to see somebody else. I get that, and that's where you have to change as a character."
When asked when we'll know he's a villain, Rhodes added:
"You'll know because X and Instagram will hate it. Today, heels are, like, 'Oh, that's a cool heel. We're loving John Cena.' No, if you're burying it and hating it and talking about how you don't want it on your TV, that's what an actual bad guy is."
In terms of a timeline for any such character change, Cody said he's got "a good solid year, maybe even three years" left in him as a babyface, adding how, if the Rock got his way, Rhodes would already have embraced his dark side.
Cody Rhodes, are you tired of being the good guy?@CodyRhodes @Fanatics pic.twitter.com/5A6xFnmrzb— Kay Adams (@heykayadams) June 24, 2025
Could Cody Rhodes Work As A Heel?
Having become arguably the top babyface in WWE since his 2022 return to the company, could Cody Rhodes really become a villain and turn heel within these next few years? Absolutely.
Rhodes has embraced his more sinister side at various points over the decades, whether that was as part of Legacy, during his Dashing days, at times as Stardust, or when he was running with the Bullet Club. The bigger question is whether WWE would want to turn Cody, and, more importantly, when the company would pull the trigger on such a change.
Right now, Cody Rhodes is a major merch mover for WWE, is a phenomenal representative in terms of the PR side of things, and he does fantastic work with various charities. Of course, this is incredibly similar to John Cena during his own run as the poster boy of his generation and beyond, and that's why WWE was always so hesitant to go all-in on a Cena heel turn for so long. And if you turn Cody, do you have other talents there to step up and move those same merchandise numbers, and to be brilliant in those public appearances? Realistically, you probably do.
Jey Uso, Rhea Ripley, CM Punk, and Roman Reigns are names that immediately spring to mind in terms of fellow top babyfaces right now. Previously, the likes of Becky Lynch, Seth Rollins, Drew McIntyre, and Charlotte Flair have also been perfect for such positions, though those performers are all heels right now.
So, will Cody Rhodes be a heel at some point in the future? 100%. It just remains to be seen when and how that turn eventually takes place.
First and foremost, though, Cody faces Randy Orton at WWE Night of Champions this Saturday in the final of the King of the Ring tournament, with the winner going on to challenge for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam.