It appears a potential heel turn may be brewing for Johnny Gargano on WWE SmackDown.
Speculation intensified after Gargano’s heel theme music was quietly uploaded to the official WWE Music YouTube channel. While that alone doesn’t confirm a character shift, the timing aligns with his recent on-screen struggles and increasingly erratic behavior.
Over the past several weeks, Gargano has been portrayed in a despondent state — often shown lying across backstage production crates and appearing disengaged from his surroundings. In a notable visual, he was recently seen sitting atop the mysterious wooden crate that has been appearing across WWE programming, further tying him into one of the company’s ongoing story threads.
Meanwhile, Candice LeRae has attempted to reach him emotionally on-screen, but her efforts have seemingly had little impact.
Gargano has been operating as a solo act since the departure of Tommaso Ciampa, who exited WWE and later signed with All Elite Wrestling. Without his long-time partner, Gargano’s character has drifted into darker territory — a shift that longtime fans may recognize as reminiscent of his more antagonistic “Rebel Heart” run in NXT.
It’s worth noting that Gargano continues to appear on television weekly, suggesting WWE still has plans for him. Whether this leads to a full-fledged heel turn or a singles push with a refreshed edge remains to be seen.
For now, the pieces are being positioned — and the change in music may be the first audible sign that something bigger is on the horizon.
