Built like an action hero but with the brain of a comedian, it’s time to admit that John Cena is the new king of comedy in Hollywood.
Let’s get an important fact out of the way: Paul Feig’s Jackpot! stinks. The middling movie forgets to pack the laughs for the occasion, with the only shining chuckle in this painful experience being John Cena’s Noel, who plays a freelance Lottery protection agent keeping a close eye on Awkwafina’s Katie. Cena’s ability to light up average or bad movies should come as no surprise, though. It’s becoming par for the course when it comes to the former WWE Champion, as he establishes himself as one of the funniest actors working in Hollywood. Sure, he possesses a physique fashioned by the same god of stone who chiseled out Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s muscles and he looks like the archetype of an ’80s action star, but Cena stands out when he leans more into the fun – not the gun.
With a history in bodybuilding, John Cena signed up with the WWE (then known as the WWF – sorry, pandas) in the early 2000s. Initially, while in the developmental territory known as Ohio Valley Wrestling, he performed under the alias of the Prototype, presenting himself as the perfect specimen in the ring. When he made his way onto the main roster, though, he didn’t have a gimmick to speak of – apart from being the new guy who wanted to prove himself against the legends. He faltered and many feared he would become lost in the shuffle as a result of his failure to connect with the crowd. This all changed when he debuted the Doctor of Thuganomics gimmick where he’d freestyle rap before matches and destroy his opponents with absolute zingers and disses. From there, he never looked back as he soared to the top of the pro wrestling industry then jumped to Hollywood.
Why does this story matter? Well, Cena’s rapping gimmick isn’t really a gimmick. Turns out he holds the ability to come up with wicked lines on the spot and when the WWE discovered his unpublicized talent on a bus trip, the promotion knew he was money. This skill also demonstrates how comfortable Cena is in the uncomfortable. Much like comedy, freestyling isn’t easy. It involves the ability to pivot on the spot and to have an instant awareness of what does and doesn’t work in a split second. Cena carries this over into the world of performance, as he’s able to read a room like a total pro to determine how to get the right reaction or to improvise when necessary. Like all good comedians, he knows it isn’t only in the delivery of a line but also in his body language. Thanks to his larger-than-life physical appearance, he’s able to use it to enhance a gag if he needs to – much like Arnold Schwarzenegger did in his forays into comedies such as Junior and Twins.
Considering John Cena’s reputation as a championship wrestler in the squared circle, it’s understandable why film studios envisioned him as the next big action star. Brawny, square-jawed, and able to throw people around like they’re paper cups, he would be the Cannon Group’s wet dream in the ’80s. His first ventures into the genre didn’t fare too badly either, as The Marine and 12 Rounds developed cult followings and received several sequels.
Yet, the limit remained clear here: Cena would be a B-movie action star if he stayed on this trajectory. Maybe a few supporting roles in bigger productions would materialize, but direct-to-DVD or streaming would be the ceiling for his career as a leading man.
In 2015, Cena changed direction, appearing in three notable comedies: Trainwreck, Sisters, and Daddy’s Home. Appearing alongside established comedians such as Amy Schumer, Tina Fey, and Will Ferrell didn’t faze him. In fact, he more than held his own, receiving praise from the audiences for being genuinely funny. Surprisingly, the magic came mostly from Cena as Schumer revealed in a Trainwreck featurette: “I did not write most of his lines. John Cena, he blew our minds.”
It was a lightbulb moment for casting directors, as offers for studio comedies, such as Blockers and Playing with Fire, rolled in for him. He completed his transformation from a hulking action star to hulking funnyman who isn’t afraid to say outrageous things to garner a laugh or two. As Freelance director Pierre Morel told the Bleacher Report: “John Cena, who we all know and who I knew as that massive beast of a man with an amazing physique – he’s hilarious. He’s a comedian. He’s a natural-born entertainer.”
Despite 2021’s The Suicide Squad receiving glowing reviews from critics and fans, not a single person cried out for John Cena’s Peacemaker to have his own solo show. After all, this character wears what looks like an upside-down toilet on his head and he’s D-list at best in the comic books. So, why in the flying Kryptonian would anyone want to watch a show centered around this guy?
What no one expected was for Peacemaker to be so darn funny that it produces Cena-like abs for those who watch it. It isn’t only about cape shenanigans; it’s about the madcap Christopher Smith who has absolutely no credentials or right to be a hero, but somehow redeems himself in the end. Is Peacemaker revolutionary television or the best superhero show of all time? Not a chance. But thanks to Cena’s unflinching performance and desire to embrace the ridiculous nature of it all, it’s unmissable entertainment. The fact that everything DC received a reboot around this period, but Peacemaker managed to survive for a second season speaks volumes about the star power of Cena (though it helps that the showrunner James Gunn is now the co-CEO of DC Studios).
Cena yields similar results in Jackpot! While his performance alone might not be enough to get a sequel greenlit, his brand of physical comedy and commitment to get weird elevates the material to heights it never deserved in the first place. It’s the mark of a good comedian, really. Much like in the squared circle, not every production will receive five stars or be remembered as an all-timer. That said, it’s possible for someone to be committed and still entertain others. So, you know John Cena’s whole “You can’t see me” shtick? It needs to be retired now, because everyone is starting to see him as one of the funniest and most entertaining actors in Hollywood.
