WrestleMania 39 will have plenty of major moments as usual, but the event across April 1 and 2 will also provide a platform to launch certain names to new heights of superstardom.

This dynamic should be fascinating this year with it being the first 'Mania overseen creatively by Triple H, and Gunther tops the list of Superstars set to benefit the most.

The Ring General will clash with Sheamus and Drew McIntyre at WrestleMania 39 in a Triple Threat match that has the potential to steal the show outright despite a stacked two-night card.

Make no mistake, the show-stealing potential would be there no matter if Gunther was clashing with Sheamus or McIntyre individually.

But this plan has been long in the making. Triple H and Co. have clearly positioned Gunther to be a key component of revitalizing the midcard titles after a long era of them feeling meaningless.

Gunther won the Intercontinental Championship in June and has been on a tear for the ages since. He's had many successful defenses, including a five-star rating from Dave Meltzer for his classic against Sheamus at Clash at the Castle. Wins against the likes of Rey Mysterio and Braun Strowman also stressed Gunther's range as a performer, never mind his sheer dominance.

And don't forget the Royal Rumble. Gunther entered first and was the last eliminated, earning the all-time record for time spent in the match at 71 minutes and 25 seconds. Among the memorable moments was an encounter with Brock Lesnar that made him look amazing, and he was eliminated by Cody Rhodes, who entered 30th and was the inevitable winner so WWE could get him in a program with Roman Reigns.

A report from Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select suggesting this has been the plan for Gunther since last year only reinforces the idea that the company views him as one of the next big things.

The final destination to put him over that hump is the clash with McIntyre and Sheamus. With respect to the latter, much of this has to do with the former. After all, it was McIntyre who not too long ago was the over midcarder who suddenly took down Brock Lesnar in the Royal Rumble, won a title and carried the company on his back through the audience-less pandemic era.

In a very real way, WrestleMania could be a passing-of-the-torch moment. That's not to say McIntyre is going anywhere as a main-event threat, but he's won titles, had lengthy reigns and even had that unforgettable showing against Roman Reigns in the U.K. despite the loss.

Eventually, Gunther will need to lose his title, but that time isn't at 'Mania. The big showdown is more of a crowning moment, putting an exclamation point on his historic run at the Royal Rumble before what was effectively an amazing match against Rhodes at the end.

In the ring, Gunther-Sheamus-McIntyre will be an unforgettable slugfest. It will inevitably end up on those "matches that stole the show at WrestleMania" articles. But it will also signify something so much more, as Gunther is a future face of WWE and top champion, be it heel or fan favorite.

It feels very important for WWE to get Gunther right. Reigns' tale is a good example of the new commitment to long-form storytelling. But so is Gunther's ascension to that level. There will be a time and place for him to have unforgettable one-on-one encounters with Lesnar, Reigns and the rest.

For now, it's about the slow burn. In hindsight, fans will probably look back on Gunther's trip to WrestleMania 39 as a highlight of this new WWE era.