WrestleMania 40 Night 2 preview: Why Cody fans are taking solace in ‘Avengers’ movies

Cody’s Avengers, assemble? Here’s why some WWE fans believe that’s what awaits on Night 2 of WrestleMania 40.

Right before Night 1 of WrestleMania 40 went off the air, there were some great shots of Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins sitting and mulling over their loss in the main event. Both men wore looks of dejection, as Rhodes now has to head into his rematch with Roman Reigns knowing it will be fought under Bloodline Rules.

That means anything goes, and with The Bloodline, that means the numbers game. The Rock has already promised he’d interfere liberally if given the chance. One can only assume Solo Sikoa is licking at the chops to help his Tribal Chief, and Jimmy Uso will be looking to rebound after losing his Saturday match.

Rollins likely won’t be able to help Rhodes since he has a very difficult title defense against Drew McIntyre. As is often the case with top babyfaces, Cody just doesn’t have enough friends. All is lost.

Or maybe not.

Rhodes fans have been putting faith in a theory that centers upon one of Marvel’s most popular franchises, one that they think will play out on Night 2 when Cody is facing his darkest hour.

What is the Avengers theory?

Put simply, the Avengers theory is the idea that a group of extraordinary individuals will come together to do what others can’t. OK, so that specific language is borrowed from Nick Fury, but the idea is the same: a team will assemble to help Rhodes battle The Bloodline on Sunday night.

The theory has been floating around for months, but it’s taken on new life ever since Rhodes needing help under Bloodline Rules became a possibility. It’s perfectly fine since Bloodline Rules work both ways. Any number of people could come to Cody’s aid, and it wouldn’t affect his ability to win the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship from Reigns.

Who might be in Cody’s Avengers?

There are actually two lines of thought here. The more fun one is that WWE legends will come to the rescue. There’s even been some suggestions that the clues were there for the whole world to see during The Rock’s infamous rain-soaked beating of Rhodes on the March 25 episode of Raw.

Specifically, a WWE production truck could be seen in the background, with the faces of two specific legends on it, both of whom have been active at WrestleMania within the past two years.

Yep, that’s John Cena and Stone Cold Steve Austin. WWE hasn’t advertised or confirmed that either man will be present in Philadelphia for Night 2, but there have been teases and rumors floating around for some time. Cena even posted something on Instagram that directly implied Austin would pull up for WrestleMania.

Cena has a history with Reigns so his motivation wouldn’t even need explanation. And Austin, despite his penchant for giving both good guys and bad guys a Stone Cold Stunner on occasion, has been a friend and admirer of Rhodes for some time.

Failing that, there are plenty of others who have a score to settle with The Bloodline already on the roster. Jey Uso is an obvious candidate since his ties to the group run deep. Sami Zayn is another, and would be free since he wrestled Saturday (unlike Kevin Owens, who will vie for the United States Championship on Sunday).

Or it could be a mix of people past and present. The point is that on a day unlike any other, Rhodes wouldn’t have trouble rallying people to his cause.

Could this actually happen? The parallels between the downbeat ending of “Avengers: Infinity War” — where the evil Thanos has achieved an unthinkably total victory — and Night 1’s main event have been pointed out by many fans.

If the Avengers theory is correct, Sunday night could be reminiscent of “Endgame,” where a host of heroes unites to join in one triumphant final battle. That could lead to the most spectacular feel-good ending in the 40-year history of WrestleMania, one that will surely help fans disappointed at the end of Night 1 bounce back quickly.

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