Summary

• John Cena's "You Can't See Me" meme started as a joke with his brother, but has now become an iconic gesture in and out of wrestling.
• Cena's meme has spread beyond WWE, with funny uses outside the ring, including jokes about his invisibility and his big frame.
• While the John Cena meme made him more recognizable, his role in Peacemaker proved he's more than just a meme, with improvisational, comedic, and dramatic skills.

The “You can’t see me” catchphrase evolved into a hilarious John Cena invisible meme for the WWE star-turned-actor. Cena's provocative taunt to his opponents fits into the great pantheon of wrestling catchphrases that has long been part of each fighter's armory. Alongside The Undertaker's chilling “Rest in peace” and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson's somewhat strange “If you smell what The Rock is cooking,” Cena's is one of the most quotable. The taunt – which Cena uses to suggest that his wrestling moves are too fast for his opponents to see coming – has a sweet and funny origin.

Cena wrestled in WWE for several years before he moved to Hollywood. Cena spent most of that time as a face (a good guy in wrestling terminology), although he started as a heel (a villain) — regularly taunting his opponents. Even after turning good, Cena never stopped taunting his opponents, especially saying "You can't see me," something Dwayne Johnson found out when The Rock returned and Cena often poked fun at him. The John Cena invisible meme hasn't just stayed in the ring though, and the funniest uses of this meme have very little to do with WWE today.

Where The John Cena "You Can't See Me" Meme Came From

It Started In Cena's WWE Career

According to WWE, Cena was messing around with his younger brother Sean testing out hip-hop beats for his then-upcoming rap album (titled You Can’t See Me) when the younger Cena sibling started dancing around waving his hand in front of his face. Sean dared his brother to do this during a wrestling match, and John obliged before adding the catchphrase. Thus, one of the most iconic gestures in wrestling was born. Cena would hold his hand in front of his face and wave it back and forth, indicating his opponent couldn't see him because he was better than them.

“You Can’t See Me” is interpreted quite literally, with memes suggesting he believes he is invisible.

Little did he know that his taunt would be immortalized in a John Cena invisible meme, and thousands of Twitter visual gags emerged with him as the star. It's fair to say the meme exploded far beyond the ring, and many who enjoy it have little to no interest in WWE beyond John Cena's tongue-in-cheek digs at his opponents. Although Cena originally intended the phrase to imply that his wrestling prowess couldn’t be matched, in the meme-making community, “You Can’t See Me” is interpreted quite literally, with memes suggesting he believes he is invisible or maybe actually is.

John Cena's "You Can't See Me" Meme Explained

It's One Of The Most Consistently Popular Memes

The standard structure for the John Cena meme features an image of the man accompanied by some text that suggests Cena is not actually in the image. Even John Cena himself is in on the joke. Back in 2017, when Apple launched the iPhone X with its new Face ID feature, Cena took to Twitter to voice his concerns over whether the facial recognition technology would even work for him. Another example is this viral video tweet from Deadspin in which Fox Sports reporter Jamie Little seems utterly oblivious to John Cena’s presence at a NASCAR event.

His movie career has really helped spread the John Cena invisible meme even further than when he was a wrestler.

This even moved on to bigger jokes, such as people adding Cena's name to movie cast lists and then mocking people who say they didn't see him in the movie. His movie career has really helped spread the John Cena invisible meme even further than when he was a wrestler actively doing it on TV on a weekly basis. Indeed, Cena's not just famous but also has an iconic, unchanging look and a large frame, which only makes instances of the "You Can't See Me" meme more hilarious.

What John Cena Thinks Of The You Can't See Me Meme

The Superstar Actually Loves It

WWE legend and international superstar John Cena — whose estimated net worth is upwards of $60 million — still doubles down when the "You Can't See Me" John Cena meme is brought up. In a 2021 interview for F9 (via YouTube), when Cena was asked whether the joke ever gets old, Cena said:

"No, not at all. I, somehow, through almost two decades of involvement with the WWE, have genuinely developed a superpower - I'm invisible bro."

It's a funny response — but there's more truth to Cena's reply than meets the eye. Whether consciously or not, Cena has used this infinitely remixable meme to sharpen his own improv skills and comedic timing for years, which are what make his onscreen presence truly distinct. Since Cena has really started laying into his comedic roles more regularly, with his new movie Ricky Stanicky a good example, it makes sense that he has no problem laughing at himself.

Peacemaker Proved That John Cena Is Way More Than A Meme

Cena Has Become A Bonafide Hollywood Star

HBO's Peacemaker is led by WWE star John Cena in the titular role and proves he is a lot more than a meme. Some acting skills are required of any WWE wrestler, and most of them are responsible for creating their wrestling characters and catchphrases (hence the John Cena meme). But leading a television series is different. The character of Peacemaker first appeared in Suicide Squad, and people initially disliked the antihero. However, in HBO's Peacemaker, any doubts disappeared. While the John Cena meme definitely made Cena more recognizable, Peacemaker proved that he is more than just a meme.

Outside of being a phenomenally successful wrestler, John Cena has led one of the best superhero shows in years.

Much of Cena's hilarious dialogue in Peacemaker was improvised, showing he has serious comedic chops. He also got to show off his dramatic skills as an actor, in the form of embellishing his backstory and highlighting his tumultuous relationship with his father, White Dragon. Outside of being a phenomenally successful wrestler, John Cena has led one of the best superhero shows in years. He brings a lot of laughs to the screen and excels in his role. While the John Cena meme has grown into its own phenomenon, the same can be said for the man himself.

John Cena Isn't The Only Wrestler With A Famous Meme

The Rock & Randy Orton Have Popular Memes Of Their Own

The John Cena meme might be the most used, but it isn't the only popular meme that crossed over from wrestling to the mainstream. One of the funniest came from one of wrestling's most famous crossover stars - Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. This meme is a photo The Rock posted in the 1990s, with a black turtleneck, silver necklace, and a fanny pack. This meme has been used since then to show how uncool even the coolest people can be, and even Kevin Hart mocked the look. Luckily, Johnson even laughs at the photo (via E! News).

"in the world of pro-wrestling in the '90s, everyone had a fanny pack. But the one that stands out, and then makes the headlines looking like an idiot, is right here."

Another popular wrestling meme that exploded everywhere from Twitter to TikTok is Randy Orton's "RKO Outta nowhere" meme (via Washington Post). This meme is based on Orton's finishing move that he pulls off before he pins an opponent. Impressively, he mastered hitting it without warning, even if his opponent was in the middle of their offensive move. This turned into images of a Photoshopped Orton hitting the RKO on just about anyone in entertainment, politics, or other sports to show a person has been owned. Unlike the John Cena invisible meme, this remains a taunt.