Many wrestlers have tried to have a career in film, but only a few have succeeded. John Cena is one of a trio of former WWE stars who have found success on the big screen after hanging up his boots. Of course, it didn’t hurt that he was the most recognizable face in the sport, but his skill set on the mat gave him the credentials he needed to make a name for himself as an actor. He’s not a one-trick pony behind the camera, either. The actor has range.
Indeed, Cena can do it all, from fast cars to comedy to kids’ movies. He has successfully redefined his career in a way that not many people get to. His acting career and blockbuster success has only just begun too, as he has more films on the way. Most recently, Cena can be seen reprising his The Suicide Squad Peacemaker role in HBO’s latest series Peacemaker, which has been renewed for a season 2. While we wait for more news on the series, here’s a look at John Cena’s best performances, ranked.
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10 Sisters
Photo Credit - Little Stranger, Everyman Pictures
John Cena didn’t have a lot of screen time in this 2015 film, but he makes the most of what he is given. The film Sisters sees Cena play a weed dealer named Pazuzu, after the demon from The Exorcist. His hilarious expressionless performance was a stand-out amongst other comedy masters such as Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, and John Leguizamo. This role was only a sample of his comedic timing, which would be on display in the years to come. If a career in professional wrestling taught him anything, it’s how to make the most of the time given to him.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
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9 The Wall
John Cena stared along with Aaron Taylor-Johnson in this under-the-radar war movie. The Wall is a bottle movie that focuses on the two actors playing marines at the close of the Iraq War. When sniper Staff Sergeant Shane Matthews (Cena) and his spotter Sergeant Allen Isaac (Taylor-Johnson) are sent to investigate a pipeline construction site, they discover that the location is actually a trap for an enemy sniper of near-mythical status. Separated by a wall and pinned down, Isaac speaks with their assailant while the injured Matthews tries to eliminate the enemy before others can fall into the trap as well. This film is unique because it’s set in a single location with complete ambiguity as to where the sniper will attack from, packing in the tension in a nail-biting story.
8 Trainwreck
Photo Credit - Apatow Productions
Trainwreck was a huge hit when it was released in 2015, and yet again, John Cena was featured in a hilarious standout performance with only a limited amount of screen time. When this film was released, he was nowhere near considered an actor. This and his role in Sisters were nothing more than appearances, if anything. However, this one appearance put him on the map, and he only played the brief sexually confused fling of a woman (Amy Schumer) who can’t commit. The film saw him get a bit more raunchy than anyone would have expected, but his short time in this Judd Apatow flick launched his acting career — and he wasn’t even the main character.
7 F9: The Fast Saga
Universal Pictures
John Cena captured a pivotal role in the Fast and Furious’s ninth installment as Dominic and Mia Toretto’s (Vin Diesel and Jordana Brewster, respectively) estranged brother Jakob. In this film, Cena’s character is a master thief and assassin and teams with the returning Cipher (Charlize Theron) for more of the Fast saga’s trademark chaos and ridiculousness. While F9 may not be the franchise’s best film, Cena shines in his role and fits in effortlessly with the rest of the ensemble cast. It’s not an easy task to be inserted into a series with a loyal fan base like this one has, but the wrestler does so with ease. With his escape and reconciliation with Dom at the end of the film, it’s also not unlikely that we’ll see him again in one or both of the upcoming two installments as well.
6 Blockers
John Cena’s first starring comedy role in Blockers sees him playing a strict suburban father trying to stop his teenage daughter from losing her virginity. This surprise hit sees him star alongside Ike Barinholtz and Leslie Mann. This 2018 comedy could have gone off the rails, but the comedic trio was able to take the film from ridiculously hilarious to sweet instantly. As the father trying to maintain his daughter’s innocence, it’s he, as well as his wife and friend, who ultimately ends up learning the important lessons. Through all the insanity, Mitch is a father that’s scared of watching his daughter become an adult, a theme any parent can relate to.
5 Vacation Friends
This movie sees John Cena play an over-the-top party animal with his love interest as they get way too attached to a soon-to-be-married couple in what may be Cena’s strangest role to date. There are not a lot of laugh-out-loud moments in this film as Cena carries most of the film’s comedy, but he is once again the stand-out performer. Despite the film being panned by critics, it’s another showing of Cena in his element. Lil Rel Howery’s character proves to be a good foil for the over-enthusiastic Ron. Still, perhaps the two actors would have had better chemistry in a better film. Nevertheless, Vacation Friends is an easy watch and a fair addition to Cena’s comedic resume.
4 Bumblebee
Photo Credit - Allspark Pictures, Di Bonaventura Pictures, Tencent Pictures, Bay Films
Bumblebee (2018) was the sequel/reboot that the Transformers franchise desperately needed, and John Cena made a great addition. Set in the 1980s, Agent Jack Burns (Cena) goes on the hunt for Bumblebee after he presumes the Autobot to be an enemy when he and his team are attacked by pursuing Decepticons. He later realizes his mistake and turns into an ally for the robot. Cena passes for a law enforcement agent easily, thanks to his large authoritative size, and walks with a presence that seems authentic for his character. The film was also a breath of fresh air for him as he had previously done a lot of comedies and the turn into action films helped make him one of cinema’s biggest action stars.
3 Ferdinand
Photo Credit - Blue Sky Studios, 20th Century Fox Animation, Davis Entertainment
John Cena had never headlined a big-budget film on his own before this 2017 animated feature. He plays Ferdinand, the titular bull. Despite the aggressive nature that other bulls are perceived to have, Ferdinand is pacifist, which becomes a bit of a problem when he is made to step into a bullfighting ring. This light-hearted film was a hit with kids, and it makes sense that the actor would want to voice the character as he was always an inspiration to children in the ring. It only makes sense that he would choose a role for the audience that loved him most.
2 Tour de Pharmacy
Photo Credit - HBO
Around the time this HBO mockumentary was released, John Cena started to dip his toes into the world of acting. This satirical film was chock-full of crazy characters played by notable actors and a surprising appearance from disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong. Cena played an Austrian cyclist that very clearly stood out from the rest of the competition. His character was perhaps the most eccentric of the bunch, which is really saying something seeing as everyone was playing very over-the-top parody characters. Each of the cyclists in this film compete in the 1982 Tour de France with a secret to hide. The film is funnier in hindsight and wasn’t as liked by fans as critics, but it’s definitely a standout film in Cena’s resume.
1 The Suicide Squad / Peacemaker
DC Films
This may be the most recent in John Cena’s acting credits, but it sits right at the top of the list in his best performances. What was, just a year ago, an unknown character in DC lore has now taken over the world. Peacemaker proved to be more complicated than what we had seen in The Suicide Squad in 2021. The anti-hero is saved from prison and death and is tasked with preventing an invasion of alien butterfly-like creatures from controlling the minds of innocent people. The series expands on what fans saw in The Suicide Squad and combines Cena’s greatest role types — action hero and comedic genius — and under the guidance of James Gunn, the series was made with the recipe for success. The hit series will be back for a second season, and fans are speculating how much the character of Peacemaker will change now that he may or may not start to be haunted by visions of his father.
