John Cena has been a well-known name for wrestling fans since the mid-2000s. His strong presence in WWE made many viewers happy when he expanded his career beyond wrestling. Now, he’s one of the most famous names in Hollywood.
Like Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista, Cena used his wrestling skills to transition into acting. While he found success in action movies, Cena’s sense of humor helped him branch out into different kinds of roles.
This weekend, Cena surprised fans with an appearance at WWE’s Money in the Bank event in Toronto, where he announced that he was retiring from wrestling. From now on, he will focus entirely on his movie career.
How did John Cena become WWE’s most famous wrestler?
John Cena joined WWE in 2002. He started as a newcomer who stood up to the villain Kurt Angle and took on an open challenge for a match. By the end of that year, Cena had created the character that would make him a major WWE star. As the “Doctor of Thuganomics”, he was a cocky and rude rapper who would perform freestyle raps to insult his opponents.
By 2005, Cena became world champion. He changed the WWE Championship title by giving it a spinner design and became one of the most powerful figures in the company. Over the next years, he won and lost the title many times, but he remained the most famous WWE star.
As time went on, Cena’s rapper character disappeared, and he became a moralistic superhero-like figure, promoting the values of “hustle, loyalty, and respect”. This was similar to the “say your prayers and take your vitamins” slogan that Hulk Hogan used in the 1980s.
Cena dominated the wrestling world for many years, but his reign also made him a controversial figure. Fans grew tired of seeing him win so often. Even though he was always portrayed as a good guy — a “babyface” in wrestling terms — some fans loudly booed him just like they would any villain.
John Cena (WWE)During this time, Cena had a famous rivalry with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, which led to their matches at WrestleMania in 2012 and 2013. In this rivalry, Cena criticized The Rock for leaving wrestling to chase Hollywood fame. A few years later, this would become important for Cena’s own career.
Cena’s transition from wrestling to movies
At the peak of Cena’s WWE fame in the mid-2000s, WWE created WWE Studios to produce films starring its biggest wrestlers. One of the studio’s main projects was The Marine, where Cena played the lead role of a military man. He went on to star in other movies from the studio, like 12 Rounds and Legendary.
None of these films made much money or received great reviews, but they proved that Cena could bring his wrestling charm to the big screen. Then, in 2015, things took a turn.
Cena moved away from action roles and took on a series of memorable comedy cameos. He poked fun at his own image in Trainwreck, playing Amy Schumer’s gym-obsessed, hopeless boyfriend. He also appeared in Sisters and Daddy’s Home.
These three roles helped Cena’s career, showing that he wasn’t afraid to laugh at himself and do anything for a joke. You can trace a line from these movies to Cena’s bold appearance in the 2024 Oscars.
Since then, Cena has starred in more big movies, such as taking the lead role in Bumblebee and joining the cast of The Suicide Squad and Fast and Furious. He’s increasingly seen as someone who could lead major Hollywood films, whether in comedy, action-packed franchises, or family-friendly animation. He’s a versatile star who appeals to all types of audiences.
His role in Fast X is a great example of how he combines his skills. It lets him be an action star — even using his famous “Attitude Adjustment” wrestling move in a fight scene — but it also gives him a chance to show off the funny side he couldn’t display when he was a serious villain in F9.
Why is John Cena retiring?
The reason it was important to mention his rivalry with The Rock earlier is that Cena, in a way, has become the villain he once criticized. Now, he’s the hugely famous movie star who has to leave wrestling behind.
Wrestlers who become actors always have to juggle their careers carefully. There’s always the risk of getting hurt in the ring, and when you’re the main star of a movie, you can’t afford to take that risk every week on live TV. A movie star isn’t as valuable if there’s a chance they could delay a film shoot for months, which could cost millions of dollars and put many people out of work.
Cena is also 47 years old and would have been slowing down his wrestling career even without his focus on other things. Wrestlers can often keep going long past their prime, like Chris Jericho, who is still active at 53, or Sting, who only retired earlier this year just before turning 65. But for Cena, the time has come.
John Cena carries Triple H at Royal RumbleThis move allows Cena to leave wrestling at a high point. In recent years, his appearances have been rare enough to still feel special, unlike the over-exposure he had in the late 2000s. It makes sense for Cena to use 2025 as a farewell tour, leaving on a high with exciting matches against younger wrestlers and one last big WrestleMania showdown.
If Cena wins the WWE Championship again, he will become a 17-time champion, surpassing Ric Flair as the most decorated champion in WWE history. That would be a great way for Cena to solidify his already impressive legacy in wrestling, just before he returns to Hollywood.
Maybe one day, he’ll even win an Oscar? He might want to wear clothes this time.
