Matt Rife unveils new bleach blonde bad built butch hairdo and reveals which Marvel star has inspired a career shift

It’s been months since we heard much more than a peep out of Matt Rife, but the controversial comedian is back in business.

After facing heavy backlash to his comedy stylings, his path to success, those accusations of plagiarism, the racism, the misogynistic jokes, and of course his actual beef with a six-year-old, it seemed Rife’s career may have been over before it truly started. But despite all the controversy and turmoil, Rife is determined to maintain his fame through any means necessary.

His comedy specials aren’t doing overly well — his latest crowd work special has an abysmal 46% audience score and no critical score — so it seems Rife is shifting gears. He’s now eyeing the fresh release of his memoir, Your Mom’s Gonna Love Me, and anxiously hoping that a good makeover will give his career the jumpstart it so desperately needs.

Rife secured himself a brief segment on the TODAY Show on the same day his book hit shelves, and he dug into the origins of his comedy career, his new look, and the Marvel star whose career he’d like to recreate.

During his interview with NBC’s Craig Melvin, Rife leaned into a much more down-to-earth and heartfelt energy than he usually taps into. He discussed his grandfather, who was a major influence in his decision to take up a career in comedy, and the “cool full circle moment” that will see him emulate one of his biggest inspirations in a sold-out show next fall. Is anyone surprised to learn that Dane Cook is among Rife’s heroes? I’m certainly not.

Rife also discussed his intent to further expand his acting career — he’s enjoyed nearly 30 film and television roles so far — and listed the A-list star he’d most like to emulate. Brace yourselves, folks, because Rife sees himself as the next generation’s Ryan Reynolds. He noted that Reynolds has displayed skill across genres and noted that he deeply respects his range, and the “unique charm and humor” Reynolds brings to every role.

Then there’s the hair. Apparently part of his “quarter-life crisis,” Rife has gone full blonde, and he’s a fan of the new look. It’s certainly jarring, after seeing him attain fame as a smirking brunette, but the blonde look actually suits him well. It’s also got career-related motivations behind it since Rife bleached himself out specifically for posters promoting his “Stay Golden” tour. It was reportedly originally titled the “Rebel Yell” tour — and the golden hair was an homage to Billy Idol — but news that Idol himself was headed on a 2025 “Rebel Yell” tour shut that idea down, and necessitated the change to “Stay Golden.”

The interview was brief, but there’s no denying the clear change in how Rife presents himself. We may see a return to form once his tour kicks off in the spring, but for this interview, at least, gone was the pompous, braggadocios jerk who thought everyone was overly sensitive for pointing out his persistent misogyny, replaced by an even-keeled and dare I say even likable blonde. Maybe it’s the bleach seeping into his brain, or maybe he realized he needed a rebrand, but either way, it’s a version of Rife I like far more than the sneering shlock we’ve gotten used to.