‘Street Fighter’ Star Cody Rhodes Makes a Big X-Men Confession, and the Marvel Casting Rumors Won’t Quit

Few WWE stars have courted Hollywood as openly as Cody Rhodes, and the Cody Rhodes X-Men speculation has been building for weeks. He has been spotted in places and posting things that fans can’t help but read into, even if nobody has confirmed anything.

Rhodes is about to hit theaters as Guile in ‘Street Fighter,’ which opens October 16 from Legendary and Paramount. The film was directed by Kitao Sakurai and is set in 1993. It features a huge ensemble that includes Andrew Koji as Ryu, Noah Centineo as Ken, Jason Momoa as Blanka and Andrew Schulz as Dan Hibiki.

That press tour has given Rhodes plenty of chances to talk about his nerdy side. In a new Nerdist interview with Maude Garrett, he declared himself an X-Men, and co-star Schulz reacted with a double take. The clip quickly spread online and fueled fan theories about what Rhodes might be teasing.

Cody Rhodes: "I’m an X-Men" Andrew Schulz: "Wait… you are? What did you just say?" (via @nerdist) https://t.co/5TKM50kivd

— CoveredGeekly (@CoveredGeekly) October 15, 2026

Rhodes told Garrett that he nerds out about the X-Men and anything involving Patrick Stewart. He also revealed that he played Wolverine and Ryu in the ‘Marvel vs. Capcom’ crossover games. Then came the surprise, as he passionately argued that Cyclops is the best X-Man and praised Scott Summers for leading a team that was incredibly dysfunctional.

Schulz tried to pitch Jubilee and Gambit as alternatives, but Rhodes held his ground. He acknowledged that Wolverine is the fan favorite but stuck with Cyclops. David Dastmalchian, who plays M. Bison, jumped in to say Professor X was his pick.

The interview is the latest piece of a growing puzzle. In late August, Rhodes shared an Instagram Story of himself at Marvel Studios in Burbank, California, which kicked off speculation about an MCU role. He later posted another story of himself signing autographs while the ‘X-Men ’97’ theme played.

Fans have floated names such as Sabretooth, Bastion, Havok, Cable, Colossus and Bishop. A clip from Schulz’s podcast, in which Rhodes reacted to a question about Rogue, also went viral. Inde Navarrette, however, has been cast as Rogue, according to the cast revealed at D23.

It’s worth stressing that none of this confirms anything. Several outlets have pointed out that the studio visit and Instagram posts could simply reflect a fan who loves the franchise, and the studio visit may have happened earlier than the clip suggests. Marvel has not announced any casting for Rhodes.

Even if Marvel does have plans for Rhodes, fans would be waiting a while. ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is set to arrive this December, ‘Avengers: Secret Wars’ follows roughly a year later, and the next ‘X-Men’ film isn’t scheduled until May 2028. The reboot has already assembled part of its cast, including Samara Weaving as Emma Frost and Adam Driver as Nathaniel Milbury, an alias for Mister Sinister in the comics.

Rhodes already has some comic-book credits. He appeared in 7 episodes of ‘Arrow’ as Derek Sampson, and he previously pursued the role of Black Bolt for Marvel’s ‘Inhumans’ series in 2016. He also appeared in ‘The Naked Gun’ in 2025.

Wrestlers have had mixed fortunes in Marvel’s universe so far. Becky Lynch shot material for ‘Eternals’ that was ultimately cut, and Seth Rollins was attached to ‘Captain America: Brave New World’ before his role disappeared from the finished movie. That history gives fans a reason to be cautious, though it hasn’t stopped the guessing games.

For now, Rhodes has bigger things to focus on. Early reactions to ‘Street Fighter’ have been mixed, with critics split on the writing and tone. Several have singled out Rhodes as a highlight, with one saying he steals the scenes he’s in.

If the film connects with audiences, it could boost his profile in Hollywood at just the right moment. A strong showing might also give Marvel more incentive to see what he can do with a costume and a codename. Until then, fans will keep dissecting every Instagram Story.

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