Thoughts On the Future of Orton's Character

[BreakTheWalls]

Orton is portrayed as the ultimate bad ass; cold, calculating, and vicious. I was wondering to myself, what happens when they decide his character is stale? He's already been a top heel. They can't really make him anymore sadistic without going over the top, which is a distinct possibility but not necessarily the best option. He's punted old men in the head. How the hell do you up the ante from there? I wonder if the only way to make Orton fresh again, when there's a need for it, would be to humanize him a bit. Maybe send his personal life into a downward spiral? I really don't know. Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be a plausible direction for his character to go once he gets stale? I wouldn't be surprised if he just remains "The Apex Predator" and keeps flopping back and forth between heel and face for a long time to come, but that's going to get really boring. It already kind of is.

Thoughts?

 

[Slim]

I know this is a stretch since I'm referring to fedding... but I have a character as dark as humanly possible. Truly sadistic psychopath that would hurt anybody just for the sake of doin it. Easiest way to change them... human factor. Somethin that ties them out of their world and into reality. Something that they are attached to and the only thing that would enable them to show any sort of remorse. Boom you have your evil heel looking softer, showing concern which garners sympathy and almost makes them a sympathetic face even though they are still heel. And that in turn can get the other person over as a mega heel, then you have your double turn in process... and yeah.

So yeah... humanizing them is the easiest way.

 

[Altervers]

I think he has reached the point of becoming stale already and a change is overdue. As for what they should do about it i am a bit lost for ideas. As you said as a heel he had hit some highs previously on what he can do. You don't really want to see them go back and make him the same as before. However i would like to see him get back to his routes of his heel character when he was in evolution. The cocky pretty boy who did whatever he wanted.

 

[BreakTheWalls]

I think he has reached the point of becoming stale already and a change is overdue. As for what they should do about it i am a bit lost for ideas. As you said as a heel he had hit some highs previously on what he can do. You don't really want to see them go back and make him the same as before. However i would like to see him get back to his routes of his heel character when he was in evolution. The cocky pretty boy who did whatever he wanted.

I thought of that too, but it just doesn't make sense. That's a persona that's goes hand in hand with immaturity; suited for a budding career. It made sense for Orton to play that character early on, and then to become more serious and intense and he got older. It wouldn't make much sense for him to suddenly become that immature punk kid he used to be.

 

[Chadillac]

Well I'm torn on this. You can't blame him for any veiwer losses he has been on the brand that is gaining. And it also happens to be the brand of rising stars. Orton needs to be there to play "stabilizer" and continue on the path of putting over those rising stars. That is for the long term benifit.

However it's very easy to get caught up in the short term narrative. And that is the thoughts of grand fueds with the likes of Punk, Taker, and Cena. It would make for a more "Big League" feel and produce more revenue.

But the WWE did the latter in '01 and '02, and while there were a few short term fixes, nothing lasted. And things continued to trend downwards, basicly for 4 years. Things went back up from 05 through 09, with the infusion of new stars, like Orton him self, put over by the old guard.

My concusion is that this must happen again. It's been paying off after just one year.

We don't need another 4 year decline, WWE cant afford it ths time. They are not coming down from 7.0s, they are at 3.0's.

 

[Defiant]

When WWE inevitabely get rid of the PG rating in a few years, there will be plenty of options creatively for Orton's character without PG limitations to "up the ante" of his character. Once they return to PG-13 or TV-14 or whatever the fuck, Orton will be able to get away with more than punting old men in the temple and I think RKO'ing Stephanie.

 

[Heisenberg]

I don't like Ortons character, it is getting very stale and doesn't work with WWE being PG and also doesn't work with him being a face. It suits more of a heel. And as said, hopefully when WWE turns back to TV-14 when Linda McMahon' senate campaign fails, he'll be able to work much more freely.

I'm sure Vince wants TV-14 back.

 

[The Cork]

Theres nowhere for him to go, he already had the GOAT gimmick of Legend Killer and they dropped the ball.

His future is vanilla humdrum main eventer.

 

[Defiant]

Awfully pessimistic there. Why is Orton doomed from this point on?

 

[PHX]

He's young still and his preference is being heel so I'm sure he still got a few heel runs in him so that will probably be the next thing for him in a few years. Before then I do think he needs to do some tweaking to himself as right now and since he has been on SD for the most part has been kind of running in place with his character.

 

[AF.]

I thought they were going to make his character psychotic after MITB 2011 when he attacked Christian. The faces and mannerisms he was pulling were hilarious and I wish they stuck with it.

 

[Chadillac]

I don't like Ortons character, it is getting very stale and doesn't work with WWE being PG and also doesn't work with him being a face. It suits more of a heel. And as said, hopefully when WWE turns back to TV-14 when Linda McMahon' senate campaign fails, he'll be able to work much more freely.

I'm sure Vince wants TV-14 back.

Is the other Conneticut Senate seat up for grabs in 2012? She just lost one of them in '10.

Is she running again?

You know, advertising your political affiliations in the Entertainment business is dangerous. Hollywood can get away with it Because it's all Cali, but most entertainment business stay away from that. She can get away with that in a mid term election, but Presidential?

You know, I think WWE knows I'm the only member of it's base who is very involved in politics. They are playing you guys as "low information".

back on topic, the future of Orton is bright. He will have the honor of passing the torch to my dude, Cody.

 

[SAIYANS]

To be honest I see him ripping off part of what Austin did in 01. He will make a deal with the devil, Ace or whoever is the power guy then, and then try to be a fun loving and cowardly guy for a 6 month span. Then he will revert back

 

[PHX]

Orton trying to be fun loving and comedic will be a trainwreck waiting to happen unless he has that in him and we don't know it.

 

[The Cork]

No, he hasn't got the personality.

Plus look what happened when he turned into a happy-go-lucky babyface in 2004, it bombed.

The way people talk about Cena being stale as hell right now, that is Orton in four years time.