Cody Rhodes Explains Why He Will Never Wear Stardust Face Paint Again

Cody Rhodes: “I Would Rather Wear The Guile Haircut For A Year Than Wear The Stardust Face Paint For A Single Day”

Cody Rhodes has made it abundantly clear that his former Stardust gimmick is permanently retired.

During a recent interview with Overtime, WWE star Cody Rhodes was pressed to make a choice between wearing his former Stardust face paint for a two-week period or sporting Guile’s signature flat-top haircut from Street Fighter for an entire year. Rhodes did not hesitate in dismissing any possibility of donning the face paint again.

“I would rather always do the Guile haircut. I mean, a year is a long time, so you’re committing. I can’t see a world where I would want the Stardust face paint for one day. So I definitely would go with the Guile flat top,” Rhodes stated.

Leaving the Past Behind

The stance reflects Rhodes’ complete distance from the character he portrayed toward the end of his initial WWE run before departing the promotion in 2016. Since his exit, Rhodes spent years rebuilding his career across the global wrestling landscape before making a triumphant return to WWE as “The American Nightmare.”

The Guile reference stems from Rhodes’ role in the Street Fighter feature film, which opened in theaters on October 16 alongside Roman Reigns, who stars as Akuma. Rhodes has embraced the project publicly, even appearing at UFC 332 styled after the character.

Producers expanded Rhodes’ involvement after early filming, though actor Andrew Schulz later noted that hours of footage involving Rhodes ultimately did not make the final cut. Regardless, Rhodes’ response underscores that no amount of nostalgia will persuade him to revisit the Stardust persona.