Cody Rhodes knows exactly what he’s doing and that’s working a crowd. He recently set off a speculation frenzy when he posted on his Instagram Story that he visited Marvel Studios’ headquarters in Burbank. Not only that but his next story, featured him signing posters with the “X-Men ‘97” theme song overlaid on top.
Cody Rhodes: A Mutant? Which One?
This, of course, caused a flurry of rumors, because why would Rhodes post that song? Why is he at Marvel Studios? What is actually going on? Disney and Marvel are no stranger to hiring wrestlers to star in their projects. The most glaringly obvious answer is that he’ll have a role in “X-Men,” considering he was at Marvel Studios specifically. So with that in mind, here’s some guesses on who he could be playing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe version of the mutants.
Cable
Fans of “X-Men” comics or even the recently released “X-Men ‘97” know Cable pretty well by now. Rhodes as Nathan Summers could be a high-key match made in heaven. Standing over 6 feet tall with bleached blonde hair, and a ridiculously stoic jaw line fit for a comic book character drawn in the ’90s, Rhodes aesthetically looks like he was plucked right off an “X-Force” cover. But the physical match isn’t all that matters, his “American Nightmare” persona feels tailor-made for Cable’s heavily armed, wildly unapproachable vibe. The character has a tragic backstory that can be balanced by Rhodes’ natural charisma. Attach a metal arm, add glowing eye effects, some stupidly large guns, and the transformation from infamous superstar to badass time-traveler would be perfect.
Juggernaut
Rhodes could wash away the sins of past live-action Juggernauts and come in strong as the villainous Cain Marko, also known as Juggernaut on Earth-616. Rhodes is a man you wouldn’t even have to CGI any muscles onto. Similarly to Cable, he’s got the right build and features for this brute force character. Rhodes would likely elevate Juggernaut from being portrayed as a brainless wall of muscle, adding in nuance and providing balance between being intimidating and carrying the weight of his complex personal history. If we’re going to do Juggernaut, it has to be done with a little more thought and care this time around.
Sabretooth
By now you’re probably starting to notice a trend with this list. Yes, every person named so far is of a certain body type and that continues with Sabretooth. Marvel could get an easy win casting Rhodes as the Wolverine foil also known as Victor Creed. Charm may not be as necessary with this role, but Rhodes would crush the hulking, animalistic, unstoppable force that Sabretooth needs to be. Not many could pull off that terrifying swagger with a high level athleticism. Plus, wouldn’t it be a blast to see him fight whoever Marvel eventually casts for Wolverine?
Colossus
This choice is probably high on a lot of people’s lists; Colossus, the indomitable Piotr Rasputin, has a visually appealing power that Rhodes could pull off with ease. Between Rhodes’ natural commanding presence and the X-Man’s steely mutation, the fight scenes could be ridiculously fun. Rhodes can put on a performance, grounding what might get silly in some realism. He’s a great match for the mutant’s core personality; famous for being a gentle giant, a virtuous protector, and an earnest soul. It would be intriguing to see the babyface interpret this through his own lens.
Beast
Now, now, stick with us here. This might feel like an out-of-left-field choice, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Not only does Rhodes have the burliness necessary for Dr. Hank McCoy’s physicality, but he has the presence and ability to express Hank’s warmth and eloquence through whatever prosthetics he may have to endure. On the level of genius that Dave Bautista’s casting as Drax was, having Rhodes play a highly intelligent character whose appearance doesn’t quite match could be generational.
Who’s Currently in the ‘X-Men’ Cast?
Recently at D23, Marvel announced more cast members of the new “X-Men” (releasing exclusively in theaters on May 5, 2028). Joining Sadie Sink, who debuted as Jean Grey in “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” were Kit Connor as Scott Summers, Christopher Abbott as Professor Charles Xavier, Samara Weaving as Emma Frost, Inde Navarrette as Rogue, and Maya Boyd as Storm. Adam Driver was also announced as Mister Sinister.
Plot details are scant, but director Jake Schreier revealed to Collider a few months ago which comics inspired his take on the MCU’s X-Men and give us a clue as to the story’s direction:
“I also think just having the time to kind of sit back, and I’ve just been digging into so many of the old comics and the entire Claremont run, and just going through stuff and really trying to think about what can we do well that feels new and feels different, and that hasn’t been done well before? Obviously, there’s such an incredible cinematic tradition of these comics, but what can we do? And how can we put our own spin on what that is?”
One Last Thought
For now, this is all speculation based on one man’s teasing Instagram Story posts, but he knows how rabid Marvel fans are. Rhodes using that theme song, coupled with his visit, was very purposeful, so the hype train has officially left the station. Leave a comment below and let us know who you think he could be playing.
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