Cody Rhodes Hints He Could Step Away From WWE ‘For A Minute’

Cody Rhodes says he wouldn’t rule out taking time away from WWE as his interests outside the ring continue to grow. In a recent interview with TheSportster, the former WWE Champion discussed his increasing pull toward acting and how his goals have shifted since finally checking off the top box on his wrestling bucket list.

Rhodes has long made clear that capturing the WWE Championship — the title his father, Dusty Rhodes, never won — represented the culmination of his entire career, famously framed around “finishing the story.” Now that he’s accomplished that, and recaptured the title since, it tracks that Rhodes would start looking at what comes next, both in and out of wrestling.

It’s not a surprising turn for Rhodes specifically. He’s never hidden his Hollywood ambitions, and his family’s entertainment ties run deep — from his own past acting and producing work to a broader Rhodes family history that extends well beyond the squared circle. A guy who has already dabbled in film and television projects taking a swing at doing more of that once he’s reached the mountaintop in WWE isn’t exactly out of character.

What stands out here is the “for a minute” framing — the idea floated isn’t a retirement or a permanent departure, but a deliberate pause. That’s a meaningful distinction in an era where top WWE stars increasingly balance in-ring schedules with outside ventures, whether it’s Hollywood, business interests, or simply load management on a grueling full-time slate. Dwayne Johnson, Dave Bautista, and John Cena all walked some version of that road, stepping back from the ring to chase screen time before circling back for marquee returns.

For WWE, any extended absence from Rhodes would be a notable subtraction. He’s been positioned as a centerpiece of the company’s programming for years now, and his merchandise, crowd reactions, and championship runs have made him one of the most reliable box-office draws on the roster. Any hint of him stepping back, even temporarily, is worth watching closely heading into the next few months of WWE storytelling.

No timeline, specific plans, or formal requests have been detailed publicly, and Rhodes remains an active part of WWE’s weekly programming for now. But the comments suggest that the subject of balancing his in-ring career with outside opportunities is very much on his mind as he looks toward life after reaching his career-defining goal.

Whether this amounts to a brief hiatus down the road or simply Rhodes thinking out loud about his future remains to be seen. Either way, it’s a storyline worth keeping an eye on as WWE continues building its next chapter around him.