The movie John Cena was warned against starring in: “I am not a commodity”
In a tale told many times in Hollywood, John Cena was advised to turn down appearing in what became the biggest film of his career.
The tradition of wrestlers-turned-actors has evolved dramatically since Hulk Hogan and Jesse Ventura appeared in a series of cheesy action B-movies in the 1980s. It’s been accepted that wrestling is a legitimate form of performance that, in many ways, serves as a perfect training camp for the big screen. Former WWE champions like Dwayne Johnson and Dave Bautista have become so popular thanks to their film work that it has superseded their fame from the ring.
Cena is close behind them as a rising wrestler-turned-actor, and he only seems to be getting better. Although his career had gotten off to a shaky start due to the critical disappointments of 12 Rounds and The Marine, Cena eventually proved he could totally immerse himself in a character when James Gunn cast him to play Christopher Smith in The Suicide Squad. Even though the film was not a financial success, Cena’s performance was so popular that he eventually got to lead the spinoff series Peacemaker on HBO Max.
Everyone knows that a wrestler of Cena’s notoriety can carry himself in an action scene, but the most surprising thing about his career is how funny he is. Cena is great at being self-aware and has managed to make fun of himself in cheeky ways; between appearing in Sisters, Trainwreck, Blockers, and even a few episodes of The Bear, it’s safe to say that Cena has been more successful at comedy than any other wrestler.
As exciting as it is to see that Cena has embraced being self-depreciating, those close to him were somewhat fearful that he’s been narrowing his image. One of Cena’s funniest roles to date was his performance as the ‘Kermaid’ doll in Greta Gerwig’s Barbie, but he was advised to turn it down so that he could “stay in this lane”.
Although he was told to star in more traditionally action-centric material because a “commodity gravitates toward these things,” Cena told Howard Stern that he was willing to take the risk.
“I’m not a commodity,” Cena said on The Howard Stern Show. “I’m a human being, and I operate under the construct of ‘every opportunity is an opportunity.’”
Cena clearly saw what Gerwig’s doubters were soon forced to recognise: a Barbie movie has the chance to be a real event that brings together generations of families that grew up playing with the toys. Although it’s certainly a film that is centred on female empowerment, there were more than a few actors who did standout work, including Ryan Gosling, who earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor.
Perhaps there was concern that the audience that generally saw Cena’s work wouldn’t want to see Barbie, but it turned out that just about everyone wanted to see it. A film doesn’t gross over $1.4 billion if it only appeals to a selective audience, so clearly, a lot of people ended up seeing Cena on screen, even if he just had a brief appearance.
Ironically, Cena’s most recent failures have been when he returned to the action genre that he is generally associated with. Freelance, Hidden Strike, and Argylle were all flops, and Fast X was met with venomous responses, even by longtime Fast and Furious fans. Perhaps Gerwig managed to unlock a different side of Cena; if she’s still casting roles for her upcoming Narnia audition, maybe Cena has the opportunity to join the C S Lewis fantasy world.
