4 Iconic John Cena movie roles that parallel his WWE persona
John Cena is a 16-time WWE World Champion and bonafide Hollywood superstar. He made his name as the top star of the sports entertainment company before crossing over to Tinseltown, where he's slowly rising to a similar status. Having followed the footsteps of The Rock and Batista in building upon his success, The Champ is back "home" for a short run.
Cena's success in both industries has brought into focus some of the similarities shared by the two. He has made multiple comparisons, likening the direction styles of James Gunn and Vince McMahon, for example.
Despite portraying various roles, he has found himself drawing some parallels to his iconic WWE character with his big-screen starring roles.
Here are four John Cena movie roles that mirror his persona in WWE
#4: The Marine inspired a great deal of John Cena's WWE character work
John Cena's first notable movie role was in the WWE Studios action film The Marine.
Playing the stoic, all-action former US Marine John Triton, Cena showed his acting potential as the lead opposite seasoned veteran Robert Patrick. The character exhibited the never-give-up attitude and near-invincibility that would become hallmarks of The Champ in the company.
After his turn in the movie, Cena incorporated a salute, dog tags, and military-themed attire into his gimmick, to great success. Many things have changed over the years, but the salute remains a part of The Cenation Leader's entrance preceding his sprint to the ring.
Given how much admiration he has expressed for the armed forces over the years, it's safe to say the gesture is going nowhere.
#3: Jakob Toretto's feud with Dominic Toretto bore striking similarities with John Cena's WWE rivalry with The Rock
In 2021's F9: The Fast Saga, Jakob Toretto was a master thief, spy, and world-class racer who, despite his incredible skills, lived in the shadow of Dominic Toretto. Ten years prior, WWE megastar John Cena was a multi-time world champion, marquee star, and top draw who, despite his achievements, was overshadowed by The Rock's return. Notice the similarity?
Both characters, brought to life by The Cenation Leader, had to confront their more popular rivals and attempt to usurp them. Based on misguided anger, both failed on their first attempts before reconciling with their conquerors and achieving redemption. While Jakob came by (spoiler alert!) sacrificing himself for his brother in Fast X, Cena's redemption was finally defeating The Brahma Bull at WrestleMania 29.
In an intriguing bonus twist, both of Cena's foes-turned-friends in these franchises seem to be on a collision course with unhinged, long-haired villains with ties to their "families." Will Dante Reyes and Roman Reigns prevail?
#2: Ferdinand, like John Cena in WWE, is big and gentle but a force to be reckoned with when angry
The 2017 animated movie Ferdinand follows a big, peace-loving bull by the same name who wants to smell flowers and help his friends. His size, however, causes him to be viewed as a threat wherever he goes, landing him in many fights he doesn't start. He is confronted by many villains, many of whom are won over to friendship by his stubborn adherence to his principles.
The biggest villain of the movie is El Primero, an egotistical matador who repeatedly attempts to break Ferdinand's resolve and lure him into a fight.
This theme is repeated multiple times in John Cena's WWE career, where he is provoked by heels attempting to lure him to the dark side. Similarities can be seen between Ferdinand's resistance to El Primero's provocations and The Champ's struggles against Kane's mind games from the "Embrace The Hate" storyline. Both Cena-portrayed characters prevail by sticking to their principles, giving the stories happy endings.
#1: Peacemaker was the John Cena heel turn we never got in WWE
Christopher Smith, aka Peacemaker, is a DC character portrayed by John Cena in 2021's The Suicide Squad. He is a highly skilled combatant with only one principle: protect peace at all costs. In his quest to preserve peace, he crosses all sorts of moral lines, often resorting to violence, convinced that the end justifies the means.
Similarly, John Cena is WWE's resident superhero, who, over the years, has enforced his values of Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect no matter what. This has sometimes seen him cross lines by, for example, verbally bullying the likes of Vickie Guerrero, defeating younger stars who needed the win more, and cutting Rey Mysterio's 2011 WWE Title reign short to set up a rematch with CM Punk.
Both men left collateral damage while preserving their principles with unshakable conviction, and it could be argued they are two sides of the same coin. Indeed, many fans have theorized that a heel Cena would behave a lot like Peacemaker, and we don't think they're far off!