Both Dwayne Johnson and John Cena are shining examples of wrestlers who became succesful actors. Interestingly, their journeys from wrestling stardom to major Hollywood fame are strikingly similar. Both stars started out in action movies before branching out into other genres and showcasing their dynamic range.
In terms of box office success, as of yet, Johnson is in the lead. However, we need to take into account his tenure in the movie industry, as he has been acting 5 years longer than Cena. But as Johnson makes a return to the wrestling ring and Cena forefronts bigger projects like Ricky Stanicky, it seems John Cena is on a path to derail Johnson as the biggest wrestler turned actor.
What Dwayne Johnson’s Return to Wrestling Could Mean for John Cena
Dwayne Johnson, affectionately known as The Rock, skyrocketed to fame as one of the most iconic wrestlers of all time. Initially portraying a villainous character in the wrestling world, he effectively utilized this persona to transition into the realm of acting, scoring his first major movie role in the 2001 film The Mummy Returns. His compelling portrayal led to a spinoff movie the following year titled The Scorpion King, which further solidified his status as a powerhouse in the entertainment industry. With his undeniable charisma and talent, Johnson rapidly ascended to become one of the biggest movie stars globally, earning the distinction of being the highest-paid actor in Hollywood in 2016, 2019, 2020, and 2021.
In recent years, Johnson hasn’t taken the title of the highest paid actor. Also, his roles have gotten smaller, voicing a small character role in Free Guy and making an uncredited appearance in Fast X. His last major starring role came in 2022’s Black Adam, which was panned by critics and only grossed $393 million worldwide, making it somewhat of a box office bomb. In February 2024, Johnson made a surprise return to the ring, appearing on a segment of Raw. Shortly after, he announced that he will be returning to the ring for Wrestlemania XL (otherwise known as Wrestlemania 40). So, as Johnson shifts from acting back to wrestling, John Cena is enjoying the biggest success of his acting career after a string of succesful roles, highlighting the possibility that he is taking over Johnson’s dominant position in Hollywood.
How John Cena’s Comedic Flair Underscores His Versatility
John Cena’s first foray into acting came in the 2006 WWE-produced action movie, The Marine. This was followed by 12 Rounds in 2009, another WWE-produced action movie that saw Cena take the lead. However, his focus still remained on Wrestling. In 2018, his desire to venture further into acting became apparent when he became part-time with the WWE. During this time, his movie roles became much more frequent, starring in movies like Daddy’s Home 2, Bumblebee, Fast and Furious 9, and The Suicide Squad.
In 2022, Cena reprised his Suicide Squad role as Peacemaker in James Gunn‘s series, Peacemaker. The acclaimed series served as the biggest vehicle for Cena to demonstrate his faculty to forefront such a big budget project. However, Cena has received the most amount of praise for his comedic roles. This started back in 2015 with his role in the critically adored movie, Trainwreck. Then in 2018, he shined in yet another farcical role in Blockers, playing a father who sets out to stop his daughter losing her virginity on prom night.
In 2024, Cena’s comedic prowess came to the front line in his first leading role in a comedy movie. While Ricky Stanicky wasn’t lauded by critics, many praised Cena’s rendition, with IGN calling him a “comedic bright spot” and hailing his performance as “fearless”. Furthermore, Pete Hammond from Deadline peppered Cena with praise for his role as the titular character, calling him a “real-deal comedy star”.
Watch Ricky Stanicky on Prime Video
What’s Next for John Cena In Hollywood?
As mentioned, John Cena now wrestles part-time for the WWE. As of the time of writing, he is 46 years old and has been on record for saying he will retire from wrestling at 50. With wrestling fans buzzing with excitement at Dwayne Johnson’s announcement of his upcoming match at Wrestlemania XL, there has also been speculation that Cena will make an appearance too. Cena and Johnson last fought in the ring in 2013, leaving many to speculate that Wrestlemania XL could serve as their rematch. While there is no confirmation of this as of yet, there’s no denying that it would be interesting to see these competing Hollywood titans iron out their rivalry in the ring.
In terms of Cena’s upcoming projects in TV and film, he will fuse together his action hero status with his comedic prowess in the 2024 action-comedy Grand Death Lotto. The near future shown in Paul Feig‘s film will see a Grand Lottery established in economically stricken California. However, there’s a caveat – you must kill the winner before dusk in order to properly claim the prize. Outside of this lead role, Cena will also return for season 2 of Peacemaker, and will star alongside Idris Elba in the action-thriller, Heads of State. Want to read about more wrestling stars who became actors? Here’s our pick of the top 8.
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