Several wrestlers have tried crossing over into the world of Hollywood, but few have had more success than John Cena. While his time in WWE made him a household name, Cena’s acting career has made him a bona fide megastar. He’s starred in several blockbuster films, including The Suicide Squad and F9.
John Cena Says He’s Hoping To Pump Breaks In Hollywood For One Last WWE Run
John Cena was a guest on the Pat McAfee Show Monday and said he’s hoping to take a break from Hollywood for one last WWE run.
Predictably, John Cena has collected a fair amount of interesting stories over the course of his acting career. Some of these provide fascinating insights into the progression of Cena’s acting career, while others are just plain amusing. With that aside, let’s get into the list.
Cena Didn’t Even Want To Be In His First Movie
John Cena’s First Film Was A Movie Called The Marine
John Cena’s acting debut was in the starring role of The Marine, a film produced by WWE Studios that was released in 2006. The movie received less-than-stellar reviews, but Cena’s fans enjoy the movie for the novelty of it.
‘The Marine’: The Story Behind John Cena’s First Ever Movie, Explained
In 2006, John Cena was the face of WWE. That led him to first lead role in ‘The Marine’, a movie he didn’t even want to do.
Initially, John Cena didn’t even want to be in the film. The role was originally intended for Stone Cold Steve Austin, but the Texas Rattlesnake turned it down. Vince McMahon then told Cena to star in the film, and Cena obeyed despite his reservations.
His Cameo In Barbie Was Completely Spontaneous
Cena’s Friendship With Margot Robbie Led To A Unique Opportunity
Cena and Margot Robbie, star of the hit film Barbie, became friends during their time filming The Suicide Squad. They ran into each other while out to dinner in London one night and found out they were filming projects in the same studio. Margot asked Cena if he would like a cameo in Barbie, and Cena said yes. Cena can be seen in the film as a male mermaid, or a Kenmaid, in the mystical world of Barbieland.
Cena Challenged Justin Bieber To A Wrestling Match
The Former WWE Champion Wanted To Face Bieber In The Squared Circle
In January 2020, Cena cohosted an episode of Entertainment Tonight. During the show, he was asked about whether he’d get in the ring with pop singer Justin Bieber. Cena cut an impassioned promo on Bieber, full of his pro wrestling machismo: “Okay Bieber, listen up. If you want to tussle with the great John Cena, I will ripe off your [bleep], do a month worth of leg days and hand it back to you so you can walk around like Justin Bieb-dashian! You don’t want any of this. You still can’t see me, son!”
Unfortunately, the match never came into fruition.
John Cena Goes Above And Beyond Promoting His Projects
One of John Cena’s biggest roles to date has been his portrayal of the DC Comics antihero, Peacemaker. Cena has shown incredible dedication to the role, most notably through his commitment to promoting his projects.
ECW One Night Stand 2006: How John Cena Faced The Toughest Crowd Of His Life
John Cena was used to getting booed, but nothing matched the hate he got from ECW fans at the 2006 One Night Stand pay-per-view.
At the premiere of the film The Suicide Squad, Cena donned his superhero costume, complete with the oversized silver helmet and comedically long handgun. His costar, Nathan Fillion, joked that Cena had been wearing his costume for weeks.
Vin Diesel Believes Paul Walker’s Spirit Sent Cena For F9 Role
Did Divine Intervention Land Cena His Role In The Fast & Furious Franchise?
John Cena joined the Fast & Furious franchise with his appearance in F9. Cena played Jakob Toretto, the brother of Vin Diesel’s character, Dom Toretto. During an interview with Kelly Clarkson, Vin Diesel spoke about Cena visiting him to inquire about the role. He said that he felt his friend, the late Paul Walker, had sent Cena to him for the part. Cena then reprised his role as Jakob Toretto in the tenth film of the franchise, Fast X.
James Gunn Had Been Looking To Cast Cena “For A While” Before The Suicide Squad
Director James Gunn Was Hoping To Get John Cena In The DCU
As previously mentioned, one of John Cena’s biggest roles is his performance as Peacemaker in the DC Comics cinematic universe. His first appearance as the character came in the 2021 film The Suicide Squad. Cena then starred in a spinoff television series titled Peacemaker, which is currently filming its second season at the time of writing.
John Cena Draws “Absolute line in the Sand” When It Comes To WWE Retirement
John Cena noted that regardless of where he’s at or how he’s feeling, there’s an age he knows that he’ll never wrestle past. What is it?
During a Q&A with fans via Instagram, director James Gunn was asked how he ended up choosing Cena to play the role of Peacemaker. Gunn responded that he was a big fan of Cena’s performance in the 2015 rom-com Trainwreck, and had been looking for the right role for Cena for a while.
John Cena Wasn’t Really Naked At The 2024 Oscars
Cena Wore A Unique Garment To Appear Nude At The Award Show
John Cena made headlines at the 2024 Oscars when he presented the award for Best Costume Design, seemingly as naked as the day he was born. In reality, Cena wore a specialized garment, consisting of a padded cup and adhesive fabric, in order to appear nude but still keep some of his dignity intact. This type of garment is usually used to film explicit scenes in movies and TV shows, but Cena found a rather unique use for it.
