After a long, very successful career in professional wrestling with the WWE as champion and a fan favorite, John Cena has found success in other fields, as well, including as a best-selling author. Most recently, he's become more well-known for his acting career, and while he has yet to officially retire from the wrestling industry, it seems as though his future will be on the screen.
Cena's first film was The Marine, released in 2006 by WWE Studios. Since then, Cena has appeared in a variety of projects across genres, from children's films to action blockbusters. With work in so many different genres, Cena has also played very different characters, showing his range as he can be tough and menacing or lighthearted and funny, and he's also found a place in franchises like the Fast & the Furious and the DC Comics Extended Universe. But above all, he's had roles in critically acclaimed movies, some with impressive ratings on Rotten Tomatoes.
10 'F9' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 59%In the ninth film in the Fast & Furious franchise, Dom Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, is enjoying a life of peace and quiet with his family, until it’s interrupted by an international terrorist—who just happens to be Dom’s long-lost younger brother, Jakob.
Cena plays Jakob, a formidable threat to not just Dom and his family but the whole world. Cena is entertaining to watch as a ruthless villain, especially as he faces off against Vin Diesel in action-packed car chases.
9 'Sisters' (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 60%
When their parents sell their childhood home, two sisters are tasked with cleaning out their old bedroom. Instead, they decide to throw one last party to relive their younger, more carefree days. Sisters stars Tina Fey and Amy Poehler and was released in 2015.
Cena plays Pazuzu, a no-nonsense, intimidating drug dealer who can supply pretty much any drug imaginable. Cena’s deadpan delivery makes for some of the funniest moments of the movie, and his character is one of the most memorable.
8 'The Wall' (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 65%
In The Wall, set in postwar Iraq, two soldiers respond to a distress call and are pinned down by gunfire from a sniper. After both of them are injured, the two men take cover behind a crumbling wall, the only thing separating them from the shooter. Aaron Taylor-Johnson also stars.
The Wall unfolds as a psychological thriller, with the two soldiers trying to both outsmart and outshoot their attacker. Cena delivers a great, compelling performance as a man in a dangerous situation he’s desperate to escape, especially as it becomes more tense.
7 'Ferdinand' (2017)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 71%
Ferdinand is the animated story of a young bull who escapes from training in Spain and lives peacefully on a farm. When an incident results in him being viewed as dangerous, he’s removed from his home and family, and he’s determined to make it back with the help of new animal friends.
Cena voices Ferdinand himself, who is a bit of a gentle giant—with a sweet and lovable personality, he isn’t cut out for the fighting expected of him. The film shows Cena’s skills as a voice actor, playing Ferdinand with softness.
6 'Trainwreck' (2015)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
In romantic comedy Trainwreck, magazine writer Amy, played by comedian Amy Schumer, doesn’t believe that monogamy is realistic, and she’s happy with her commitment-free hookups. But that changes when she's assigned to write about sports doctor Aaron, played by Bill Hader, and starts to develop feelings for him. Trainwreck was directed by Judd Apatow.
Cena plays Steven, Amy’s boyfriend who discovers he’s not the only guy she’s seeing. Although he can be aggressive and confrontational, he also has a softer side to him, and he’s disappointed to learn that he and Amy aren’t on the same page when it comes to their relationship.
5 'Blockers' (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 84%
When three high-school senior girls make a plan to lose their virginity on prom night, their parents find out and try to stop them. Blockers was released in 2018 and also stars Leslie Mann and Ike Barinholtz.
Blockers is a funny, raunchy twist on the typical teen prom-night film, and Cena is funny as a dad, Mitchell, who’s not quite ready for his daughter to grow up. Cena plays Mitchell as overprotective and a little clueless—or maybe in denial—about what his daughter is up to.
4 'Barbie' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 88%
In 2023 summer blockbuster Barbie, life in Barbie Land is perfect—until strange things start to happen to Barbie, played by Margot Robbie, like flat feet and thoughts about dying. To find out why, she heads into the real world, where Ken discovers the patriarchy and takes it back to Barbie Land. Barbie was directed by Greta Gerwig and also stars Ryan Gosling and America Ferrera.
Cena appears in a cameo as one of the Kens after they have taken over Barbie Land—specifically, mermaid Ken, or Kenmaid, with long, flowing blond hair. Although his time onscreen is short, it’s memorable and hilarious.
3 'The Suicide Squad' (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 90%
In The Suicide Squad, the government turns to the most notorious villains for a secretive search-and-destroy mission on a remote island. The movie is based on characters from DC Comics and also stars Margot Robbie, Pete Davidson, Nathan Fillion and Idris Elba. It was written and directed by James Gunn.
Cena plays Peacemaker, a vigilante who believes in peace and is willing to do whatever it takes to achieve it. He’s fun to watch with his lighthearted nature, sense of humor and memorable lines, but he can also be crass, as well as menacing—he is a villain, after all. Cena reprised the role in HBO Max's Peacemaker series.
2 'Bumblebee' (2018)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 91%
Released in 2018, Bumblebee is the sixth movie in the Transformers franchise and is a prequel which follows Bumblebee, an Autobot, on the run and in hiding in a junkyard in a small town in California. He is discovered by 17-year-old Charlie, played by Hailee Steinfeld, who revives him and quickly realizes he’s not just a car.
Bumblebee received the greatest positive response of all the Transformers movies, with a 91% on Rotten Tomatoes. Cena plays Agent Jack Burns, a member of Sector Seven, a secret government agency dedicated to extraterrestrials who is hunting down Bumblebee. Burns became a fan-favorite character, thanks in part to his change of heart when it came to Bumblebee.
1 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem' (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 96%
In the animated Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, the Turtles take on a crime syndicate, who unleashes an army of mutants out to take over the world. Meanwhile, the Turtles are also determined to be accepted as regular teens. The film boasts a huge ensemble cast, including Jackie Chan, Paul Rudd and more, as well as Seth Rogen, who also produced the film.
Mutant Mayhem holds an impressive 97% on Rotten Tomatoes and has been praised for its plot and humor. Cena voiced the character Rocksteady, who’s one of Shredder’s henchmen and the partner of Bebop, voiced by Rogen, and the duo is among the most popular villains in the franchise.