Cody Rhodes has put a Hollywood career on the record. The three-time WWE Champion told the Rich Eisen Show that moving from the ring to the screen is “a definite natural extension of what we do next,” and he is already mid-jump, cast as Guile in Paramount Pictures’ live-action Street Fighter. The film is due in cinemas this autumn, and Rhodes called the shoot “a huge hit” while talking up his appetite to tell stories beyond a wrestling ring.
What he will not do, by his own account, is rush. Rhodes said keeping the wrestling run going as long as he can is the immediate goal, with “a few matches left on the board” he has not had yet. That patience is the most interesting part of the whole conversation, because the history of wrestlers chasing screen careers says timing decides almost everything.
Cody Rhodes Maps His Exit Before He Takes It
Rhodes, 40, made the comments during a sit-down on the Rich Eisen Show, where the host asked about life after wrestling. He has spent the last three years as one of WWE’s top draws, and the question is no longer hypothetical now that he has a studio movie on his resume.
He framed the move as a continuation rather than a reinvention. The pitch is simple: wrestling is performance, and so is acting.
I definitely want to grow beyond telling stories in the ring. What we do in the ring is tell stories, I’d love to do it outside of the ring.
Those were Rhodes’ words on the show, where he also named the wrestlers he sees as the blueprint: “Cena’s a great example, Ric Flair’s another great example. Hulk Hogan, Triple H, my boss.” The Triple H reference points at Paul Levesque, WWE’s chief content officer and Rhodes’ real-life boss, who built a second career on screen and behind the scenes after his in-ring prime. You can watch the full Rich Eisen Show interview with Cody Rhodes for the unedited version.
Crucially, Rhodes did not announce a timeline. He said the wrestling business comes first, with matches still on his bucket list. That is a different posture from a star angling for the exit, and it shapes how the Hollywood talk should be read.
Guile, a Flat-Top and a Stacked Street Fighter Cast
Rhodes plays Guile, the flat-topped United States Air Force major from Capcom’s fighting game series, in director Kitao Sakurai’s adaptation. The studio dates the release for October 16, 2026, with an IMAX rollout through Paramount and Legendary Pictures co-producing alongside Capcom. Principal photography ran in Australia from August to November last year, so the work is long finished and the marketing push is now underway.
What stands out is how much of the cast comes from the same world Rhodes does. This is not a movie that sprinkled in one wrestler for a cameo; it built a chunk of its roster from combat-sports names. The franchise itself, born in Capcom arcades in the late 1980s, is detailed on the official Street Fighter franchise site.
- Cody Rhodes as Guile, the all-American soldier and series mainstay
- Roman Reigns, Rhodes’ real-life WrestleMania rival, as the demon-fighter Akuma
- Jason Momoa as the wild man Blanka
- Andrew Koji as Ryu and Noah Centineo as Ken Masters, the lead duo
- Callina Liang as Chun-Li, with David Dastmalchian as the villain M. Bison
- Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson as Balrog, plus Orville Peck, Olivier Richters and Vidyut Jammwal rounding out the fighters
For Rhodes, sharing a call sheet with Reigns is a neat bit of timing. The two main-evented WrestleMania, and now they trade blows in a Capcom property due out from Paramount’s theatrical slate. The crossover sells itself to wrestling fans, which is exactly why studios keep reaching for these faces.
The Template the Rock Wrote and Cena Refined
Rhodes is not breaking new ground. He is following a route that three men in particular turned into a paved highway, each in a different lane. The lesson of their careers is that there is no single way to do this well.
Three Careers, Three Lanes
Dwayne Johnson left WWE around the turn of the millennium and became the most bankable wrestler-to-actor in history, anchoring the Fast & Furious franchise and a run of family tentpoles. John Cena leaned the other way, mining his blank-faced sincerity for comedy in Trainwreck, Blockers and eventually the DC series Peacemaker. Dave Bautista took the prestige road, playing Drax in Guardians of the Galaxy before grabbing serious roles in Blade Runner 2049, Dune and Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion.
Box Office Versus Critical Standing
The interesting wrinkle is that commercial success and critical respect did not land on the same person. When The Hollywood Reporter ranked wrestler-turned-actors, it put Bautista at the top, Johnson second and Cena third, a list that rewards range over receipts. Johnson sells more tickets than any of them; Bautista is the one critics treat as a real actor. That gap is the whole game for anyone making the jump.
| Wrestler | Screen breakout | Signature lane | THR rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dave Bautista | Drax, Guardians of the Galaxy | Prestige and drama | 1 |
| Dwayne Johnson | Fast & Furious franchise | Box-office tentpoles | 2 |
| John Cena | Trainwreck, Peacemaker | Comedy | 3 |
Rhodes, who cited Cena by name, sits closest to that comedic and charismatic lane on paper. Guile, a square-jawed military man, is a chance to test whether he can carry a straight action role rather than a comic one.
Why Timing Separates the Hits From the Cameos
Here is where the cautionary half of the story lives. For every Johnson or Bautista, the business is littered with wrestlers who took a swing at film and got a direct-to-video shrug. The difference rarely came down to talent or fame inside the ring.
It came down to two things: when they jumped, and what they jumped into. Johnson eased out of wrestling while still building toward films and never looked back. Bautista was deliberate, taking small parts that fit before chasing leads. The wrestlers who struggled often arrived as a marketing gimmick in a forgettable genre picture, cashed a paycheck, and never built a second role on the first.
That is why Rhodes’ insistence on staying in WWE reads as a feature rather than a hedge. By keeping his wrestling profile hot while taking a supporting role in a tentpole, he is choosing exposure without the all-in risk. The bet here is on timing and role choice, not ring fame, which is precisely what the successful crossovers had in common.
WWE’s Roster Has Become Hollywood’s Casting Pool
Zoom out, and Rhodes is one data point in a bigger shift. Studios now treat the wrestling roster as a ready-made supply of camera-trained, physically credible performers who arrive with built-in audiences. A single Capcom adaptation casting two reigning-era WWE main-eventers would have been unthinkable a decade ago.
The economics make sense for both sides. Wrestlers are used to long shooting days, live performance and selling emotion to the back row, and they bring fan bases that travel. WWE, now part of the TKO Group, has leaned hard into media expansion, from streaming deals to its own Netflix archive launch covering decades of footage, and a roster with movie-star reach only sweetens those negotiations.
Rhodes fits the mold WWE wants to sell. He is a top champion drawing crowds on the road, including the company’s recent run of marquee live events such as its return to Atlantic City after 18 years, while quietly building a film resume on the side. His official details, including his title history, sit on his WWE superstar profile page.
The frame that matters: Rhodes is not betting his wrestling legacy on a movie. He is using the movie to stretch the legacy further, on a timeline he controls.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the Street Fighter movie come out?
Paramount Pictures has dated the live-action adaptation for October 16, 2026, with an IMAX release. Principal photography ran in Australia from August to November 2025, so the film is complete and in its marketing phase.
Who does Cody Rhodes play in the film?
Rhodes plays Guile, the flat-topped United States Air Force major and longtime Capcom series character. Kitao Sakurai directs, with Legendary Pictures and Capcom producing.
Is Cody Rhodes retiring from WWE?
No. Rhodes said his immediate goal is to keep wrestling as long as he can, telling the Rich Eisen Show there are “a few matches left on the board” he has not had. The Hollywood plan is for after his in-ring career, not instead of it.
Which other wrestlers are in the cast?
Roman Reigns, Rhodes’ real-life WrestleMania rival, plays the demon-fighter Akuma. The wider ensemble includes Jason Momoa as Blanka, Andrew Koji as Ryu, Noah Centineo as Ken Masters and Callina Liang as Chun-Li.
Which wrestler had the most successful Hollywood transition?
It depends on the measure. Dwayne Johnson is the biggest box-office draw, while The Hollywood Reporter ranked Dave Bautista first for acting range, ahead of Johnson and John Cena. Rhodes name-checked Cena as one of his role models.
Rhodes has the script for this kind of move in front of him, written by men he can name. Whether he becomes the next Bautista or just a memorable Guile will not be settled in cinemas this October; it will be settled by what he does after his last match, and by then he will have watched the playbook for years.
