WWE legend John Cena has looked back on his movie career, admitting that he did not put his all into one particular film.
The 17-time World Champion has joined the likes of The Rock and Batista in being a pro wrestler who has made the successful transition to Hollywood with major acting credits in blockbuster motion pictures. Along with starring in the Fast & Furious franchise and playing the role of Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad and the lead in the spinoff series, Cena also played the lead in multiple Amazon Prime movies, most recently Heads of State with Idris Elba. However, the one movie where Cena did not exactly commit to was the one where it all began.
In 2006, Cena starred in the WWE Studios film The Marine, where he played the lead role. Speaking at the Boston Fan Expo, the former World Champion admitted that being World Champion was much more important to him at that point, so the movie did not take priority:
“I didn’t take it seriously. The movie came out in 2006, and I believe it was shot in 2005. I wanted to be world champion. The movie was fun, but I wanted to be elsewhere,” he explained. “That’s a huge takeaway because for me, if you’re not present, then you’re dealing with constant distractions. My heart wasn’t in it.”
Continuing, Cena also noted that he now treats movie shoots like he was at a WWE taping:
“Now, when I’m on set, I’m there like I would be in a WWE arena, and I’m passionate about my work. You need to be present, and that was my biggest takeaway,” he added.
Movie Star John Cena Clarifies Rumour
In 2026, Cena will be full-time in Hollywood as his WWE in-ring career will conclude at the end of the year. With just a few months left, fans are now curious as to who will receive the honour of being his final opponent, especially as the big hitters such as Randy Orton, CM Punk and Cody Rhodes have already had their matches with the Hollywood star. In a previous interview, John Cena clarified one persistent rumour regarding his final opponent.
H/t to F4WOnline for the use of transcriptions.
Featured image: WWE
