3 AEW stars who could replace Malakai Black in House of Black

Malakai Black is easily one of the most intriguing and skilled wrestlers and characters in AEW. His dominant presentation in his debut feud against Cody Rhodes promised a bright singles future for the Dutch star. However, this did not materialize, as he united with his PWG tag team partner Brody King, and then with his former rival Buddy Matthews, to form The House of Black.

The faction, which later saw the addition of the transformed Julia Hart, succeeded at connecting with fans, courtesy of the in-ring excellence and the compelling personas of its members. Despite the success he achieved as part of the group, critics have for some time been calling out All Elite Wrestling for greatly underutilizing Malakai as a solo act.

Recently, reports emerged suggesting that the 39-year-old star is expected to finish up with AEW soon. The rumors followed on the heels of Will Ospreay telling Buddy Matthews that he and Brody King do not need to follow a leader last week on Dynamite, which gave birth to much speculation regarding the future of The House of Black.

While it is more likely that Malakai Black's departure will lead to his stable being dissolved, there is also a possibility that the leader of The House of Black will simply be replaced by another All Elite talent. Let us consider three suitable candidates for the task.

#1: Miro could return to AEW and align with The House of Black

At the inaugural edition of AEW x NJPW Forbidden Door, Miro competed in a four-way match to crown the first-ever AEW All-Atlantic Champion. He nearly had the bout won, but unfortunately was incapacitated by the black mist of Malakai Black. The former NXT Champion ended up falling short himself, however, and the new title landed in the hands of eventual winner PAC.

This put Miro on a collision course with The House of Black, which ultimately culminated in The Redeemer teaming up with his former rival Darby Allin and his partner Sting to take on and defeat Black, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews at All Out 2022. Considering his history with the former AEW World Trios Champions, and his unique character work, Miro could potentially be a good fit for The House of Black.

The self-proclaimed God's Favorite Champion has been missing from action since Worlds End 2023 and reportedly asked for his release last year. Should all parties agree, Tony Khan could feasibly align Miro with Brody and Buddy and reboot The House of Black as a new, powerful trio.

#2: Darby Allin could band together with Brody King and Buddy Matthews

Darby Allin has had a long and storied rivalry with Brody King, with the two men facing each other on multiple occasions after the powerhouse made his All Elite debut. Eventually, the face-painted daredevil's mentor, Sting, became involved in the feud, which ultimately led to the duo defeating The House of Black alongside Miro, as mentioned above.

Darby and Sting also defeated Brody and Buddy Matthews in a No-DQ match on Rampage: Grand Slam 2022. While Allin and King rekindled their rivalry last year, the two men have seemingly developed a degree of on-screen respect for the other - they shook hands after their match at WrestleDream 2024, and Brody even protected Allin from being brutalized by Claudio Castagnoli of The Death Riders after defeating him in their Continental Classic bout on Dynamite: Thanksgiving Eve.

Darby was taken out by Jon Moxley and his crew on Rampage New Year's Smash 2024, and fans are keenly awaiting his return to programming. When that happens, Allin could go after The Death Riders with Brody King and Buddy Matthews by his side.

#3: Adam Copeland could find help from Brody King and Buddy Matthews

Adam Copeland found himself embroiled in a heated feud with The House of Black last year. After Malakai Black pinned the TNT Champion at the time during a trios match at AEW Dynasty 2024, The Rated-R Superstar retained his belt against Buddy Matthews and Brody King in consecutive television defenses. The program turned especially intense after the erstwhile Aleister Black appropriated Cope's wedding ring on AEW Dynamite.

The storyline led to the WWE Hall of Famer challenging Malakai to a Barbed Wire Steel Cage match at AEW Double or Nothing 2024. During the buildup for this bout, Copeland had teased taking over Black's faction - during the matchup itself, Matthews and King seemed to actually turn on their stable-mate in favor of Cope, although that turned out to be a ruse.

Copeland somehow retained the TNT Title against Black last year, at the cost of a fractured tibia. He is now waging war against The Death Riders alongside FTR, returning at Worlds End 2024 after months of recovery. Should Jon Moxley and his soldiers succeed at taking out The Top Guys - or, alternatively, at recruiting them to their cause - soon, Cope could find reinforcements in Buddy Matthews and Brody King, bringing their story full circle.