How Cody Rhodes’ Wrestling Experience Shapes His Role as Guile in Street Fighter

Cody Rhodes is bringing skills from the wrestling ring to his portrayal of Guile in the upcoming Street Fighter film. He says his experience performing physical moves and projecting a larger-than-life presence helped shape both the character’s action and his screen persona.

That connection draws on more than stunt work. Rhodes grew up playing Street Fighter II on a Nintendo console, and he sees the film role as a chance to honor a game he remembers fondly. In a Q&A promoting the movie, he joked that he was better at it as a child than he is now. The chance to play Guile, he said, is among his proudest career moments.

Ring skills translated to the action

Rhodes has held the WWE Championship multiple times and has appeared as a playable character in wrestling video games. For Guile, he says that background helped him handle the physical demands of the role. He described working on a wire to perform the character’s Flash Kick and landing safely, while also drawing on his familiarity with throwing punches for screen action.

Those abilities can give an actor a useful starting point for action scenes, but they don’t replace the work of a stunt team. Rhodes credited the team working with him on the film, describing the result as a combination of his wrestling experience and their coordination. The source provides no details about how the stunts were rehearsed, filmed, or adjusted for safety, so it’s not possible to assess the production process beyond his account.

His comments also point to a less obvious part of the job: presence. Rhodes compared Guile’s ability to command attention with the effect of great wrestlers entering a room. In wrestling, a performer builds a character that reads clearly to a live audience; on screen, that same kind of physical confidence can help establish a character before a line is spoken. That’s a performance skill, distinct from executing a stunt.

Building Guile from character details

Rhodes consulted a friend who serves in the Air Force for guidance on details such as posture and phrases associated with service members. He said dog tags were the element he connected with most. The account doesn’t describe further military consultation or establish how closely the film’s portrayal follows real-life practice, so those details should be understood as part of Rhodes’ preparation rather than a full picture of the character’s development.

For viewers, this offers a glimpse of how an actor can combine personal experience with outside reference when taking on a familiar character. Rhodes brings a background in physical performance and a childhood connection to the game, while his questions to his friend helped him consider specific mannerisms and objects. The film’s eventual portrayal will show how those pieces work together, but the available comments don’t provide enough detail to judge its accuracy or tone.

A fast change from wrestling to filming

Rhodes said he moved directly from his regular work as a professional wrestler into his role as Guile. He described the schedule as a significant commitment and said it mattered to him that the film reflect the game he and other fans grew up playing. That kind of transition can ask performers to shift quickly between different work demands: a wrestling appearance centers on a live event, while a film role involves performing for a camera and coordinating with a larger production team.

He also spoke warmly about meeting the rest of the cast, including Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson and Andrew Schulz. Rhodes said he felt an immediate connection with the group, whose members bring experience from music, comedy, wrestling, and acting. His description reflects his own experience on set; it doesn’t offer further information about the film’s production or reception.

Street Fighter is scheduled to reach theaters on Oct. 16, 2026. Until then, Rhodes’ account suggests that his wrestling career has informed two parts of Guile: the physical mechanics of the action and the commanding presence that helps make the character recognizable. The finished film will show how those choices serve the role on screen.

Rhodes can be followed on Instagram. More about the film’s cast is available here.