Will John Cena’s Return to Action Movies Pay Off?
By Josh.0
After a brief stint in the world of comedy, John Cena is returning to his action movie roots. Will he be successful?
It’s only natural for a WWE wrestler who wants to break into the movies to do so through a comfortable pipeline of action films. The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Miz, etc. all have action film credits to their name. While other superstars such as The Big Show and even Triple H have tried their hand at more light-hearted ventures, the realm of action films plays well to a wrestler’s naturally physical style of performing.
When John Cena first crossed the line into Hollywood it was naturally done via action flicks like The Marine and 12 Rounds, both produced by WWE Studios. This opened the door for more semi-dramatic (but still comfortable) roles such as playing a former Greco-Roman wrestler in Legendary and The Reunion. It wasn’t long before comedy films came along and Cena found he had a natural gift for delivery and timing. This came as little surprise to WWE fans who had long recognized Cena as a gifted orator, especially when shooting from his hip.
Somewhat ironically for the muscle-bound superstar, he has received more acclaim for his comedic roles in Trainwreck and Sisters than for any film where he wields a pistol. He has also thrown around jokes to the world’ biggest sports stars as host of the ESPYs and will undoubtedly do well hosting Saturday Night Live. But now, he’s returning to the world of explosions with a war action/drama that will attempt to separate itself from the myriad of other war action/dramas that have been produced over the last decade.
Cena is set to star in the Amazon Studios film The Wall, set for release in March 2017, about a pair of soldiers trapped behind a wall by an enemy sniper who will no doubt pick them off if they reveal themselves. Cena has proven a competent action star but will audiences enjoy seeing him back in this role? Personally, I prefer the juxtaposition of such a large man delivering solid one-liners and zingers, but war movies tend to play well and in that respect.
While it’s unlikely that Cena will cease performing in action movies altogether, I wouldn’t be surprised if these roles take a backseat to less physically demanding ones that also pose less risk of injury. I’m standing by my assertion that Cena will and has semi-retired from the WWE and that means less time in the ring and more time in Hollywood. That being said, he will still give us 100% effort inside the squared circle so I’m not concerned about his limited appearances.
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John Cena comes off as a very likable person, both in his movies and on Total Divas. He has all the makings of a big action star but has yet to find himself in a tentpole series of films or in that one role that would lead to such an opportunity as The Rock did with his cameo in The Mummy Returns. It makes me wonder if we will ever see Cena and Rock starring side-by-side in a major project now that Rock can essentially pick and choose which movies he wants to make and most likely has immense control over the casting choices. I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing what both men could do together if given the chance.