WWE: What Does the Future Hold for Randy Orton?

One thing is for sure: Randy Orton has had a difficult 2012.

First of all, he missed time at the beginning of the year due a back injury. Upon his return, he then entered into a mediocre grudge feud with Kane, which saw the two have a dull, plodding match at WrestleMania 28.

He was then given the lead role in The Marine: Homefront, the third instalment of WWE’s military-themed movie franchise. Alas, he was dropped from the role soon after the United States Marine Corps complained that Orton’s real-life dishonourable discharge from the USMC in 1999 rendered him unfit for the role. He was later replaced with The Miz.

Rather than calmly accepting the decision, a disgruntled Orton later complained on Twitter, even taking childish and unnecessary shots at Cpl. Mike Vinn (one of the military members whose complaints led to Orton's dismissal from the role). 

Things didn’t get much better from there. In late May, he was suspended for 60 days after he violated WWE’s drug policy, meaning he missed several pay-per-views and Raw's 1,000^th episode on July 27th.

More crucially, the failure also means that he’ll be fired, for at least a year, if he fails another test. This means it will be a great deal more difficult for WWE to ever trust him again with a sustained push on top (Rey Mysterio finds himself in a similar position, also having two strikes against him).

So, after this, what does his future hold?

Well, first of all, for all the talk of WWE not being able to trust him, Orton has nonetheless been the recipient of first-class treatment since he returned to Raw three weeks ago. Indeed, he’s been pushed as a big star in storylines with Alberto Del Rio and Sheamus and remains heavily exposed to the masses. Oh, sure, he lost to Del Rio on last week’s SD, but there has been little indication that the company has lost faith in him as a main-event player.

Following his suspension, his future with WWE may not be as concrete as it once was, but it continues to look steady.

Orton also looks to be yet another wrestler interested in going into acting. While he may have lost The Marine: Homefront gig, he recently signed on to do 12 Rounds: Reloaded, the sequel to WWE Studios’ 2009 action film 12 Rounds. Per plot details, Orton will play an EMT targeted by a criminal madman and forced to undergo 12 gruelling, dangerous tasks.

This may have been WWE's way of making up for him losing the Marine role. Let's just hope it doesn't come out that Orton once got fired from being an EMT, leading to him once again having to be replaced.

Filming for that straight-to-DVD movie is due to begin next month and Orton will probably have to take time off TV for the part, which may explain why WWE have held him off from any title shots.

Prior to this, he had a small role in 2011’s That’s What I Am, starring Ed Harris. Orton seems enthusiastic about acting, and he may see Hollywood as a viable option when his WWE career winds down.

It remains to be seen whether Orton can be a success in movies. Certainly, the vast majority of his backstage skits don’t showcase prodigious acting skills but with his size and look, “The Viper” could find his niche in the straight-to-DVD action genre (where acting ability isn’t terribly important, anyway). 

Of course, just because things aren't going smoothly doesn’t mean they will continue to do so. Certainly, Orton has enough of an attitude, as evidenced by is mini-tantrum on Twitter over losing the Marine role, to cause problems between him and management in the future.

However, those who were forecasting doom and gloom for Orton back in May when his suspension was first announced may have done so prematurely, as it looks like WWE is still behind their occasionally wayward star. It may not last, of course. But, for now, Orton’s future looks to have “WWE” written all over it.