Cody Rhodes unexpectedly appeared on AEW Dynamite this week, more than four years after leaving the company to return to WWE.
However, The American Nightmare did not make a shock return to his former promotion. Instead, Cody Rhodes appeared during a commercial for the upcoming live-action Street Fighter movie.
The advertisement aired during the AEW World Trios Championship match between The New Level and Swerve Strickland and The Demand. With Dynamite using a split-screen presentation during the commercial break, viewers saw Rhodes appear as Guile, the character he portrays in the film. Roman Reigns was also featured in the advertisement, with his silhouette shown and his voice heard. The current WWE World Heavyweight Champion plays Akuma in the movie.
Cody Rhodes Appears During AEW Dynamite
While Cody Rhodes’ appearance had nothing to do with AEW itself, seeing one of WWE’s biggest stars on the company’s television broadcast quickly drew online attention. Rhodes was one of AEW’s founding Executive Vice Presidents and remained with the promotion until his departure in February 2022. He returned to WWE two months later at WrestleMania 38.
Rhodes and Roman Reigns are not the only professional wrestlers involved in Street Fighter. NJPW star Hirooki Goto has been cast as E. Honda, although no AEW wrestlers have been announced for the film.
Rhodes has continued working on the movie alongside his full-time WWE schedule, periodically taking time away from wrestling to fulfil his filming commitments. Reigns, meanwhile, currently works a reduced WWE schedule. The live-action Street Fighter movie is scheduled for release in cinemas on October 16, 2026.
