Cody Rhodes already has plenty on his plate as the Undisputed WWE Champion, but his schedule now includes Hollywood as well. While still performing weekly for WWE and preparing for WrestleMania, Rhodes is also stepping into the world of film after landing the role of Guile in the upcoming Street Fighter movie.
Rhodes spoke about how he plans to balance both worlds during an appearance on Complex Graps. Instead of seeing acting opportunities as something that could pull him away from WWE, Rhodes said the company actually supports talent taking on projects that can elevate the brand. He explained that WWE leadership sees the benefit when its top stars branch out into other areas of entertainment.
“Well, I do consider myself a master juggler. The really bright side of the question is WWE now is run by Nick Khan and Triple H, and Nick Khan knows the value of the Street Fighter IP. Knows the value of, hey… I heard, I don’t think it’s breaking news, I heard my opponent side plate, I heard he’s going to be part of Highlander. These are great for WWE. They’re great for the fans. They’re great for us who when we grew up with it and then you see like, ‘Oh look, it’s Batista and he’s getting the biggest laughs in the theater,’ which as a wrestling fan—yes, he did it.”
Rhodes also made it clear that WWE remains the priority, especially while holding the company’s top championship. Still, he believes he can manage both careers at the same time.
“I think it will all work out in a sense. I owe WWE, especially when you have this, you owe everything to WWE minus perhaps your soul… but sometimes that gets brought into question too. But I think I’ll be able to balance as they’ve come a-callin’, and I really appreciate everyone there—Brad Slater and WME and everyone—appreciate that direction for sure.”
When the conversation turned to Street Fighter, Rhodes sounded genuinely excited about playing Guile and joked that the character fits him perfectly.
“I hope people really enjoy Guile. I don’t want to give too much away… but I am the most pro-American guy ever. It sometimes gets skewed into a political thing and that’s not the case—I just love everything about the USA. I’m a sucker for it. I was born to play Guile.”
Rhodes also laughed about the over-the-top nature of the Street Fighter universe, pointing out how strange the tournament concept might look from Guile’s point of view.
“Especially when it comes to the tournament itself, which I feel like Guile might take umbrage with how the tournament comes together. He’s a guy with a claw, they’re letting him rock. One dude’s green. People got psycho powers. I’m just—you’re an Air Force colonel one day and your hair is made that way because you went Mach something, this guy’s doing yoga stretching across the room.”
Even with the humor, Rhodes said he took the role very seriously because of the passion of Street Fighter fans and the legacy of the franchise.
“It was really important to me… people who love Capcom are watching these animations frame by frame. I cannot be the one jerk who screws this up. So I’m sitting there watching everything and trying to get it right.”
Rhodes added that filming the project was an enjoyable experience and said he believes fans of the franchise will appreciate what the movie delivers.
“I had so much fun on that movie that I’m really excited for people to see it. Street Fighter fans, of course, are going to be well honored by it.”
Rhodes continues to carry WWE’s top championship while stepping into a major film role, something that doesn’t happen often in wrestling. The real test will be whether he can keep dominating inside the ring while expanding his reach outside of it.
Do you think Cody Rhodes can successfully juggle WWE and Hollywood at the same time? Do you like the idea of him playing Guile in the Street Fighter movie? Let us know what you think in the comments.