The first night of WrestleMania 42 did not go as planned. The show was widely criticized on social media for how short the matches were, how long the commercials were and how prominently the celebrities were featured. Fortunately for WWE, the response to night two has been significantly more positive. That tracked with my own personal viewing experience too. I was disappointed with Saturday, and I absolutely loved Sunday.

Here’s the thing though. All those main criticisms of night one, in theory, could have applied to night two also. Most of the matches weren’t exactly forty-five minute masterclasses. There were, once again, too many commercials, and a celebrity played a very prominent role in one of the finishes. On paper, it has the same problems, but thanks to some key tweaks and strong individual performances, the second night felt so much better. Let’s talk about why.

The Matches Got The Right Length Of Time, Which Made A Big Difference

Night one featured seven matches, and four of them ended in less than nine minutes. Not every match needs twenty minutes, but each one needs to be long enough to tell a coherent story and build up anticipation and momentum. The problem with those four matches on night one is that they all felt like they could have been more with a little additional breathing room. Liv Morgan and Stephanie Vaquer especially seemed like they were just getting warmed up when it ended.

Night two featured six matches, and two of them went less than ten minutes. The first, Brock Lesnar and Oba Femi, was a car crash, big man style match that went just under five minutes and was exactly the length it should have been to make Oba look like the next big thing. The second short match, Trick Williams and Sami Zayn, maybe could have been better with a little more time, but it told a character-building story that elevated Williams and will allow Zayn to fully turn heel. It was right for what it was.

That’s the difference. There’s not some one size fits all formula to spreading out the WrestleMania time. It’s about treating each match as an individual entity and figuring out how long it needs to tell the story you’re trying to tell. Morgan and Vaquer got seven minutes, and it felt like something we would have seen on Raw. Rhea Ripley and Jade Cargill got ten minutes, and it felt like they delivered in a really meaningful way. The first match didn't get enough time. The second match got just the right amount of time.

The Celebrity Involvement Was An Enhancement, Not A Distraction

I want to be clear about something. Every celebrity that appeared at WrestleMania took their job seriously and performed as well as can be expected. IShowSpeed, Jelly Roll, Pat McAfee and Lil Yachty all hit their spots and delivered. Because of factors outside of their control, however, their involvements hit very differently with fans.

The first night featured IShowSpeed, Pat McAfee and Jelly Roll. Speed pulled off a wild ringpost frog splash onto the announcer’s table and had some clean in-ring moves, but his actual match, which was part of a six man tag, only went seven minutes. It also featured some sloppy in-ring work from the actual wrestlers and had a screwy finish that felt disjointed and overly goofy. I was impressed with him, but that match itself was poorly executed and awkward.

McAfee and Jelly Roll did their jobs too, but they faced an unhill battle because everyone was already frustrated with the Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes storyline they were a part of heading into ‘Mania. The two wrestlers have decades of history together, and fans wanted to see that explored in the lead-up. Instead, the build was mostly about McAfee’s return to wrestling, which would have been great as a midcard angle but felt desperate and off-tone for a WrestleMania main event. WWE smartly used Jelly Roll and McAfee to (mostly) cancel each other out at the beginning of the match, but there was just too much negative momentum.

On the other hand, Lil Yachty appeared on the second night, and he was a definite value add. He’s been coming out as Trick Williams’ hype man, and his presence feels very natural for a wrestler that’s positioning himself as a pop culture star. Yachty added something to the entrance, and he had a few confrontations outside the ring with Zayn that will help the latter continue his journey to being a full-blown heel.

The Midcard Got A Few Great Moments

Night one technically featured the Women’s Intercontinental Championship, but let’s be honest, Becky Lynch and AJ Lee are not mid-carders. The Women’s Tag Team Championship was also fought for, but once again, most of the women in the match (Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Brie Bella, Paige, Bayley, Nia Jax) don’t feel like mid-carders. They’re current or former main eventers who are currently in the tag team division.

Night two, however, gave moments to people who aren’t exactly in the main event scene, and they delivered the tone changes the show needed. First, we got an insane ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship that featured some of the craziest and most dangerous spots we’ll see on the main roster this year. Penta, JD McDonagh, Rusev, Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans and even Rey Mysterio all bumped their asses off and got crazy in one of the best high spot matches I’ve ever seen. They all knew the assignment and delivered.

Second, we got a ridiculous segment between The Miz, Kit Wilson, Danhausen and John Cena that included little people, nut pouches and a cloud of smoke that didn’t work as intended. It was a mess in a really fun way and a good reminder that professional wrestling is supposed to hit different emotional beats. When WWE is at its best, it’s not just delivering great matches. It’s delivering comedy and weirdness too.

To Sum Up

The two nights of WrestleMania 42 sound a lot alike on paper. One will be remembered pretty negatively and one will be remembered very positively. It’s not because the talent on one night was better or because the basic structure was meaningfully different. It’s because the second night was put together much more thoughtfully. Matches were given the amount of time they needed to tell the story, which for many was just an extra two or three minutes. The celebrity that was used was integrated thoughtfully in a way that didn’t overshadow what happened. There was real balance with a midcard presence that included both goofy comedy and high-flying acrobatics.

In retrospect, this could have been a two night banger. If Liv and Stephanie had gotten a few more minutes... If the Usos and LA Knight vs The Vision and IShowSpeed was put together like a real match and not an excuse to generate a big moment… If some of the great midcard characters left off the card had been. included… If Jelly Roll and Pat McAfee had been incorporated more thoughtfully into a midcard program and Randy Orton and Cody Rhodes were allowed to tell the story we wanted to see… If only everything would have been treated a little more thoughtfully like it was on night 2, we could just be celebrating a fantastic ‘Mania instead of talking about the stark contrast.

John Cena ended his run as an in-ring WWE performer back in December 2025, but I don't think anyone ever expected he'd be away forever. Now, as WrestleMania 42 looms and a lot of questions circle about how it will live up to the hype, The Champ has an announcement. He will be there for the festivities, and with a job title that I personally didn't see coming.

Before anyone gets too excited or frustrated, Cena is not confirmed to be having a match. That said, he will presumably step into the ring at least once during the festivities, as he officially announced he will be the hostest with the GOAT-stest of WrestleMania 42.

John Cena Is The Host Of WrestleMania 42

Yes, John Cena is set to head up WrestleMania 42 from a hosting perspective, and announced it in classic Cena style with a video shared across his social media pages, in which he said the following:

And with that, The Champ is booked for WrestleMania 42. I'm a fan of this update, especially after Cena's retirement run didn't live up to everyone's expectations. Perhaps now he can get his flowers from the fans, without the ugliness of how his match ended with Gunther looming over any kind of celebration.

Why I'm Hype For John Cena's WrestleMania Hosting Stint

I'm also hype to see John Cena hosting WrestleMania 42 simply because he's familiar with the entire process and what goes on within the WWE. As such, I think he'll be a more interactive host who participates in backstage segments, and they'll be good.

This is the first year in a while they've had a host for WrestleMania, with Snoop Dogg and The Miz playing the part last back in 2023. Some might remember his notable moment of needing to improvise in the ring after Shane McMahon blew his knee out, but there wasn't much to it beyond that.

With Cena, I would expect we're going to see him cut a promo to open up WrestleMania 42, and he'll for sure participate a few skits. I also wouldn't rule out a confrontation of sorts with Gunther, though I wouldn't expect a surprise rematch or anything of that sort. Maybe it's something where Cena hits an Attitude Adjustment, but who knows? WWE blindsided us with an impromptu Stone Cold Steve Austin match. Perhaps they're looking to try and make the fans happy?

WrestleMania 42 airs live on ESPN Unlimited on Saturday, April 18th and Sunday, April 19th. Tune in to see Cena back in the ring, and be prepared for two nights of great fun from the WWE.

John Cena's retirement match was a mixed bag for wrestling fans, with some upset that the moment was used to further prop up Gunther as a "Legend Killer" in the WWE. For those who may be disappointed, let it be known there's a fun Easter egg that Cena put in the performance that will give any wrestling fan familiar with his early work reason to go back and watch.

Cena was a guest on the No-Contest Wrestling podcast, and during the interview, revealed there were many Easter eggs baked into his match that people haven't picked up on. The one he mentioned came from well before he was "The Champ" or even the "Doctor of Thuganomics." He shared below:

For those who need a bit more context, The Prototype was John Cena's short-lived persona when he was in Ohio Valley Wrestling, the developmental federation for the WWE at the time. Readers can find Cena as The Prototype on YouTube, but be warned, it's a little hard to watch.

I can't wait to hear what other Easter eggs come out about this, and to see if people pick out nods to his past favorite matches, or iconic feuds with other wrestlers. Perhaps if there are enough of them, this retirement match will age like a fine wine compared to how some other wrestlers were sent off.

At the end of the day, though, the spectacle around John Cena's retirement is something we'll only see happen once or twice in a lifetime. Beyond a year-long celebration of one of the greatest performers in WWE history, others like CM Punk noted this was a rare exit where a legend of the business went out with his health, a lengthy goodbye, and a promising road ahead. Even if fans don't like how it ended, they can respect that it seems to be the vision he always had in mind.

While he may never perform in the ring again, I would be shocked if it's the last time we see John Cena show up in the WWE. I think he'll absolutely consider returning to host an event, or even sit in the front row and watch a PLE. I also am not fully convinced he'll never wrestle again, but that's mainly because other wrestlers have broken that promise time and time again. Cena is one of a kind, so maybe he'll be the one who actually keeps his word.

Much of John Cena's work on WWE is available to stream right now with a Netflix subscription. Check out some of his greatest matches, and of course, continue to watch WWE programming as we inch closer to WrestleMania 42.

The 2026 TV schedule is off to a great start, and something that many WWE fans have been looking forward to recently debuted to those with a Netflix subscription. WWE: Unreal Season 2 is now available and delivers some behind the scenes secrets for major events that happened in the ring last year, one of which was the first ever two-night SummerSlam. That PLE included a match between Cody Rhodes and John Cena, and Rhodes just revealed what Cena said right before he stomped on his ankle that he’ll “never forget.”

What John Cena Told Cody Rhodes Right Before He Stomped His Ankle At SummerSlam

Wrestling fans will likely always have many strong opinions about John Cena’s year-long retirement tour, but SummerSlam 2025 saw him have a match with Cody Rhodes that many have called one of the best of the Peacemaker star’s that year. It saw Cena (after a somewhat poorly booked heel-turn led to him winning the Undisputed Championship from Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 in a much-hated match) going back to his long-time babyface ways and the duo just beating the crap out of each other for the championship rematch.

One of the cool things about that contest was how fiercely the two babyfaces went after each other, with one spot seeing Rhodes get the legend down on the mat and then stomp the shit out of his ankle. While speaking with the WWE: Unreal team in a clip posted to Instagram, the Street Fighter star opened up about something his opponent said to him right before that will stick with him. As he tells it:

Most professional wrestlers have personas that are basically them, but with their personalities dialed way up. This means that simply being themselves when performing can require some careful balancing acts, but that is something that a vet like Rhodes is certainly used to. However, with the goal of that particular match being to have the fans on his side enough that they want to see him beat Cena and take the title back, having the crowd booing him wasn’t ideal, which seems like it may have led him to yell, “This is what you want!” at Cena before punching him in the face and then taking out that ankle. Rhodes continued:

He goes on to explain that they wanted to get to the “very real” nature of the match behind Cena refusing to hand the torch over to Rhodes, and him doing everything possible in return to “take it by force.” For that to come across, he said:

In the end, Rhodes got his title back (for a few months) and Cena retired (in another match that angered fans), but this will still go down in history as one of the most memorable matches of his final year in the ring.

CM Punk has long claimed he's the "Best In The World," and after watching him for decades in pro wrestling, it's hard to deny his greatness. That said, time comes for us all, and just like John Cena did recently, he's going to have to decide when it's time to say goodbye to the WWE and retire from the profession.

Punk recently said he had no plans to hang it up anytime soon, but if not now, then when? I decided to ask when interviewing him ahead of the release of Night Patrol, in which he plays a vampire cop working the night shift and targeting a local gang. We've seen a lot of wrestlers transition out of wrestling to become full-time actors, so is this a sign that Punk is retiring soon? Here's what he had to say:

CM Punk confirmed he's not trying to have a match in his 70s like the late Terry Funk, and said age 50 is a good goal for when he could end his pro wrestling career.

He also pointed out, however, that injuries can always shorten careers, as wrestling fans know. It's a factor he understands too, as he has had some issues with injuries in recent years, having missed a large chunk of time following the 2024 Royal Rumble.

The wrestler continued and brought up his longtime rival, and occasional ally, John Cena. He talked about how rare it was to witness what fans just saw over the past year, and while not everyone was happy with Cena's final match, he laid out what made it special:

So, until he can't anymore, he'll be "operating at a high level." Speaking of that, CM Punk operates at a high level in Night Patrol, too, showing off some more of his acting chops alongside others like Justin Long, Jermaine Fowler, and Dermot Mulroney. As mentioned, the movie centers on a night patrol gang task force that is secretly vampires, and a neighborhood's attempt to stop them.

Punk told CinemaBlend he relished the opportunity to play a racist cop, noting that it was "pure acting" in the sense that it was so far removed from who he is as a person. As someone who watched the movie and thoroughly enjoyed the action and premise, I think he deserves his flowers for this one, and maybe even a chance to be in a Marvel movie like his "buddy" Seth Rollins. I'd love to see him have a cameo where he meets up with Ben Grimm and makes a reference to "It's clobberin' time."

As for wrestling, I think the work CM Punk is doing right now is some of the best of his career. It's certainly better than what he was up to when he walked out on the WWE years ago. I'd also put it above his work before he was fired from AEW, though he was injured for a large chunk of his tenure there. In any case, when it comes to retirement from pro wrestling, it seems the time is "not" now for "The Best In The World."

Catch CM Punk on Monday Night Raw on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET with a Netflix subscription. The WWE is in the midst of a European tour as it prepares for the Royal Rumble in Saudi Arabia, so keep an eye out for earlier start times for episodes, depending on where they're at.

John Cena's final match represented a changing of the guard in many ways. Beyond being the final stop on the wrestler's retirement tour, it was a showcase of younger NXT talent who may one day be the new faces of the WWE. Our established superstars are getting older, so should we assume CM Punk is soon on his way out the door as well?

Punk's return to the WWE was fantastic, and now that he's champion once again and talking about the entirety of his career in promos, one has to wonder if he'll join others like AJ Styles and start plotting out his retirement arc. After all, he's around the same age as all of those guys, but Punk said in the post-show for Saturday Night's Main Event that he's not even close to thinking about retirement. When Big E asked about his "allusions" he's made in promos to ending his career, he said the following:

John Cena, AJ Styles, and, allegedly, Brock Lesnar are all planning to retire from professional wrestling in their late 40s, but don't lump CM Punk in with that group. The Heavyweight Champion, who might end up holding the belt all the way to WrestleMania 42, hinted he still plans to stick around for a while and keep his spot at the top of the roster.

Of course, not all wrestlers retire by choice. Let's not forget that CM Punk injured his arm shortly after his return to the WWE and was out for a considerable amount of time. He also had the same injury troubles in AEW, with a Redditor doing the math and noting he was only active for 52% of his two-year tenure there.

I obviously don't wish that on CM Punk, and would like him to remain with the company as long as he can. That said, we've seen WWE stars like Edge and Daniel Bryan retire temporarily or walk away from wrestling because their bodies couldn't withstand the decades of damage they've sustained from performing. Right now, Punk looks to be as healthy as ever, which may be why he has no immediate plans for retirement.

When CM Punk decides to retire, here's hoping he gets the same treatment as John Cena. Few people have been as electric in this modern era of professional wrestling, and I can only imagine what he'd want to do in his final year. I know the promos would be legendary, even if the wrestling isn't quite what it was in his prime.

Catch CM Punk on Monday Night Raw on Netflix on Mondays beginning at 8:00 p.m. ET. The champion is dealing with a lot right now, with Bron Breakker looking for his chance to make a run at the title, and it'll take a lot from the veteran to overcome his opponent's devastating power.

John Cena wrestled in his final match in the WWE over the weekend and, as some may already know, fans weren't happy with how it went down. A lot of that anger was directed at Gunther immediately after the event, after a viral video showed him being escorted out of the building by security as fans swarmed him. Now, in the aftermath of that match, Gunther has set his next in-ring appearance.

Gunther is set to appear on Monday Night Raw after gaining attention for forcing John Cena to tap out in his retirement match. To some wrestling fans, it felt like a slap in the face to Cena's motto, "Never Give Up," and some wished the greatest wrestler of all time had gone out in a more dignified way.

It goes without saying that "The Ring General" received massive heat for his actions, but I wasn't aware of just how extreme it became. Check out this video, which shows fans gathering around him as he attempts to make his way to a bus outside the arena:

Fortunately, the reactions aren't too violent. I mean, sure, the fans are much closer than anyone working in the WWE would probably prefer but, given the business, someone could surmise that the reason Gunther walked out of the arena was to get this sort of reaction. Also, it's easy to assume the people backstage knew how bad the reaction would be to John Cena losing, so you'd think they'd prepare for that backlash by having a more secluded space for him to exit.

Gunther isn't too popular with the fans right now, though, I would imagine that was always the point. Beating Cena in his final match was never going to be a popular decision, but it felt set in stone the moment "The Bull fro Vienna" was marked as his opponent.

It feels as though the WWE wants to crown Gunther as its new "Legend Killer," after he previously retired Goldberg earlier in the year. That said, being the person to retire John Cena, especially the way he did, has had a profound effect on the wrestling audience in the short term. I have to wonder, has Gunther officially solidified his position as a permanent heel in the business?

Wrestling storylines have a short lifespan, but something this significant could definitely follow Gunther throughout his career. No matter what the Austrian superstar does from here on out, he'll always be the person who retired the greatest wrestler the WWE has ever seen. Of all the dream opponents expected to face Cena in his final match, Gunther was always expected, and he's received a great gift from the exiting legend.

It's also a ringing endorsement from the WWE, which has consistently put Gunther in some of the biggest opportunities in the company in recent years. It feels like he's being set up to be the top heel of the brand for the foreseeable future, and maybe someone who could even make a run at surpassing Roman Reigns' historic title run. Hey, when you take down a legend like John Cena, the sky is the limit as far as I'm concerned!

It all comes down to Monday Night Raw, though, in which Gunther's next storyline will presumably be revealed. If I had to speculate, I would think he'll make another run at a championship like his Intercontinental title. That said, that space is filled with so many stars, he might keep his streak of retiring legends alive, and make sure he's the one to send AJ Styles and others packing when they depart in 2026.

Monday Night Raw airs on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. It's always a great time, regardless of what's going on, but those wanting to see what's up with Gunther should make a point of clearing their evening to hear what he'll have to say.

John Cena went out on his back during his last match in the WWE, and while some fans are furious about it, it's overshadowing another headline regarding his opponent. Gunther has successfully retired a second future wrestling Hall of Famer, and put a stamp on the year in a way that his peers haven't. In some ways, it's unprecedented, but I also can't help but feel that it's also very familiar.

As we prepare for WrestleMania season and discuss the directions superstars could head, I have to talk about Gunther. I think the WWE is prepping to resurrect an old gimmick that worked out really well for one wrestling icon, and fans may have a new "legend killer" taking down their favorite wrestlers in the squared circle.

Is Gunther The New "Legend Killer" Of The WWE?

I don't think it's any coincidence that the WWE chose Gunther to retire Goldberg and John Cena in 2025. In a year when the main event scene was dominated by Seth Rollins, CM Punk, Cody Rhodes, and Roman Reigns, the WWE is still trying to find a way to continue building the Austrian wrestler up and give him some of the spotlight as one of their future faces of the brand.

It also feels like the beginning of a massive shift in the WWE in terms of the main roster. AJ Styles is currently planning on retiring in 2026, and there are reports from Wrestling Observer Newsletter that Brock Lesnar will do the same. A lot of iconic wrestlers are entering their late 40s and, apparently, retiring. I think it's possible the WWE is resurrecting the "Legend Killer" gimmick that formerly belonged to Randy Orton in order to help build up Gunther and send these people out. Will the 2026 TV schedule bring more nights where we see Gunther lay other greats to rest?

Why I Like The Idea Of Gunther Taking Randy Orton's Old Gimmick

I can understand that some people have mixed feelings about Gunther possibly becoming the de facto guy to retire older wrestlers. It's also worth noting that when Randy Orton took up the mantle decades ago, it was more about humiliating and humbling notable superstars like Shaun Michaels and Mick Foley, rather than ending their careers.

That said, it was the Legend Killer gimmick in which Randy Orton unveiled the iconic "RKO" and had some of his more memorable matches and feuds with other legends. While the title may be the same, it feels like Gunther is on a different path, though part of the result is similar. Gunther could be facing more legends, including Orton.

It wasn't that long ago that Randy Orton thought his career was finished after back surgery, but he's still chugging along. While the performer hasn't given a specific timeline as to when he'll hang up his boots, he's around the same age as a bunch of other guys who are either retiring or rumored to retire in the coming year.

John Cena's retirement tour was a big deal to the mainstream. While Orton's retirement may not get the same attention from a casual audience, for pro wrestling fans, it should be built up just as much. The WWE should make a spectacle out of when Orton hangs it up, considering he's been near or around the main event scene since his debut in 2002.

Not many in wrestling can say they've had the level of consistency in their careers, and how better to acknowledge that than with a Legend Killer vs. Legend Killer match? Unlike John Cena, I'm sure he'll have way fewer past rivals to choose from for his final matches, so why not build up Gunther for that send-off?

Monday Night Raw airs on Netflix on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I'm excited to see what's next for Gunther after this win, and who he'll face as we head into WrestleMania season.

Last night, John Cena officially ended his historic WWE career with a loss to Gunther. After decades of telling everyone never to give up, the greatest of all time did just that after getting repeatedly ensnared in a sleeper hold. The fans in attendance and many on social media were not happy campers about the not-so-fairytale ending. In between several standing ovations for Cena himself, WWE fans loudly booed head booker Triple H over the creative decision, but the 17 time World Champion was always going to end his career that way.

The wrestling business is about creating momentum. You can build it through great promos or cool intros, but the fastest way to do it is by literally taking it from other people. Winning a match in wrestling is a signal to the audience that you are ascending. It’s a vote of confidence from the decision-makers that you are going to be a bigger part of the story, fighting more important opponents and getting more screentime. It tells everyone watching that they should pay attention to you.

In a much sadder way, that same match tells the opposite story for whoever is lying on their back. A loss is a signal to the audience that you are descending. It’s an ominous warning that you’re moving down the card and may not have quite as grand of a story to tell next week. It’s a reduction of you that augments someone else.

John Cena earned the right to go out however he wanted. He carried the business through a difficult time and consistently put in the work to make himself great and elevate his fellow performers. There are so many stories about Cena helping the ring crew, Cena watching other people’s matches to give them pointers and Cena granting more Make A Wish wishes than anyone else in history. In a business known for behind the scenes drama and rampant egos, he was never, ever even rumored to be a problem.

He earned the right to go out however he wanted, but a guy like that is always going to go out on his back. Hustle. Loyalty. Respect. Given a chance to create momentum for someone else, in this case Gunther, Cena was always going to give back and create momentum for him. He was always going to put the business above himself.

In an interview for Killer’s Game with Chris Van Vliet, former WWE star turned actor Dave Bautista gushed when talking about his own last match. Co-star Sofia Boutella was shocked to find out he lost and was confused why he would be so happy about going out that way. He smiled and told her, “You gotta go out on your back.” John Cena is that guy too, and he was always going to go out on his back.

There’s been a recent trend in professional wrestling to give guys one final curtain call and celebratory victory. Stone Cold Steve Austin beat Kevin Owens at WrestleMania 38. Ric Flair has won numerous retirement matches over the years. Shawn Michaels won one final match in Saudi Arabia. Every one of those guys, however, lost the match that mattered when they had a chance to give someone else momentum. Austin lost to The Rock at WrestleMania 19. Flair lost to Michaels at WrestleMania 24, and Michaels lost to The Undertaker at WrestleMania 26.

We can all argue about John Cena’s retirement run as a whole. There were some fantastic moments (his pipebomb promo, his match with AJ Styles, his SummerSlam match with Cody, that heel promo where he made the kid in Belgium cry etc), and there were some moments that could have gone better (whatever was supposed to happen with The Rock and Travis Scott, the Mania match with Cody). Wrestling fans love to argue, and they’ll be arguing about that for decades to come.

This final match, however, WWE got this right. John Cena got this right. The guy who elevated the business and preached Hustle, Loyalty and Respect gave all the momentum he had left to Gunther, arguably the best worker in the entire business. It was the way he was always destined to go out. Every time Gunther screams during a promo for the next decade that he forced John Cena to tap out in his last match, it'll carry that momentum forward. It'll be a reminder of how big Cena once was and how much he still matters.

Happy retirement, John. Thank you so much for all the memories, and thanks for putting the business above yourself one final time.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet watched Pluribus’ latest episode via Apple TV subscription, so be warned!

For the bulk of Pluribus’ first season so far, we’ve stuck with Rhea Seehorn’s character as the sole human focus, surrounded as she may often be by the hive-minded Others. But Episode 6, “HDP,” took audiences to Las Vegas to spend some quality time with another final vestige of humanity, Samba Schutte’s advantageous Koumba Diabaté, whose glass-always-full perspective stands in contrast to Carol’s more disagreeable and curmudgeonly ways. Of all the episode’s highlights, perhaps the most unexpected was…[checks notes]...oh yeah, John Cena!

Though it was a cameo from the genuine Doctor of Thugonomics himself, it technically wasn’t “John Cena” that Koumba and Carol watched deliver one of the most hilarious slices of exposition I’ve ever seen. Few things are quite as surreal as watching the WWE legend matter-of-factly explain the necessity of using human corpses for sustenance. That just doesn’t happen on shows like Law & Order or Sesame Street.

Samba Schutte talked to CinemaBlend about his standout episode — hopefully the first of many — and I had to ask how he found out about John Cena’s involvement. Perhaps surprisingly, it wasn’t a last-minute celebrity grab, and was right there on the page. As he put it:

I don't think Carol was swayed by the surreal majesty of having John Cena share one of the most disturbing updates anyone could ever share. But for viewers like me, it was quite the effective treat.

Though Cena's appearance was already locked when Samba Schutte read the episode's script, he hadn't yet filmed it. But don't go thinking he and Rhea Seehorn were performing to an empty screen. As he revealed, there was another very special stand-in "actor" who handled the cannibal explanation.

That's right, Breaking Bad and Pluribus creator (and Better Call Saul co-creator) Vince Gilligan was the first to deliver all of the gnarly details to Carol and Koumba. But was it the real Gilligan, or just the Other version of the TV mastermind? How wild would it be if Gilligan wrote himself into this series as one fo the surviving humans?

If I had to make a Top 10 list of people who could tell me that all of dead people around the planet are being turned into amber-colored life-sustaining fluids, I don't know that I'd argue against Cena dn Gilligan being on the list. I'd also take Al Pacino, the cast of Futurama in-character, and maybe Penn & Teller, but only Teller. And now I'd even add Samba Schutte to that list. The dude just exudes warmth.

It’s been a big year for ol' John Cena. Not only did he get usurped by aliens for Pluribus, but he helped fuck over a racist parallel universe in Peacemaker, helped save the country with Idris Elba in Prime Video’s Head of State, and is in the midst of his WWE retirement tour. I kinda hope the Others continue using him to deliver other icky updates in the future.

Sadly, Pluribus’ first season will be wrapping up before too much longer, with only three episodes left to drop across the next three Fridays. Thankfully, we already know Season 2 is on the way, though whether or not it’ll be part of the 2026 TV schedule is something only the Others know for now. Maybe some other WWE vets have inklings…

The wrestling world is still talking after the latest Monday Night Raw, as those with a Netflix subscription saw the WWE bring a little person out for a segment it hadn't done in a long time. Dominik Mysterio performed a skit in which a "Mini Cena" came out and challenged him ahead of WWE's Survivor Series: WarGames.

Dominik handily defeated the performer, and while fans have discussed the moment a lot this week, it wasn't until Friday that we saw John Cena react to it. Of course, the celebrity had to do it via his cryptic Instagram account, which he's used to seemingly reference everything from Taylor Swift to his ongoing WWE storylines. This latest reaction was one of the latter, and felt like a clear nod to the latest segment with "Mini Cena," take a look:

Cena often posts the template of "Stone Cold" with something random put in the place of iconic wrestling legend, Stone Cold Steve Austin. This time, it was Syko, who is one of the star performers of Micro Championship Wrestling and the TLC series Big Little Brawlers.

The post feels like an acknowledgment from Cena that he was aware of the segment and wanted to give a shoutout to Syko, who played the role of "Mini Cena" on Monday Night Raw. It would be an honor for any person to get namechecked on John Cena's Instagram, but it has to feel extra special as a professional wrestler.

CinemaBlend spoke to Syko back in 2024, and the wrestler pushed for more little people representation on WWE and AEW. He and his wife, Pinky Shortcake, are currently wrestling in the Micro Championship Wrestling federation, which is a company that highlights little people wrestlers and tours the entire nation. It's cool to see Syko appear on WWE television after sharing that remark, and even cooler to see John Cena shout him out as well.

While the WWE has not featured little people in the same capacity it has in past years, it did recently sign iconic legend Hornswoggle for a Legends contract at the start of the year. It's possible this was an effort by the company to incorporate little people wrestlers more, or it was just a one-off segment.

We'll see what the company does, as opinions about the segment were all over the place. Some, like noted wrestling pundit Dave Meltzer, said on Wrestling Observer Radio that the moment was reminiscent of a segment that would've happened in the "Vince McMahon years" and felt "outdated" in the current era.

On the flip side, there were plenty on X who loved the segment, including the performer himself, Syko. The wrestler told Busted Open that appearing on Monday Night Raw was a "dream come true," and was grateful to be a part of the moment. I'd love to see him get an invite back during Survivor Series: WarGames for another special moment, but with it being one of John Cena's last matches, I'm not sure it'll happen.

Survivor Series: WarGames kicks off on the ESPN Unlimited app on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET. I'm excited to watch now that the dispute with YouTube TV is settled, and I'm hoping for an exciting night of surprises after a lackluster past couple of years.

There have certainly been WarGames matches with better builds than what we’re getting this year, but I’m not sure we have ever had more star power in a single match than what we’re getting on the men’s side this year. With all due respect to The Road Warriors, The Four Horsemen, Dusty Rhodes, Hulk Hogan and other legends who fought in the cage many times, the shared starpower here is extraordinary.

Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk and Brock Lesnar are all at least in the conversation to be on a list of the 10 biggest stars in the history of the wrestling business. Jimmy and Jey Uso are one of the greatest tag teams in the history of the business, and Drew McIntyre is a slam dunk future first ballot WWE Hall of Famer.

Logan Paul has clearly fallen in love with the business and if he stays on his current trajectory, he’s also going to be and should be a Hall of Famer someday. Bron Breakker is widely considered the most promising wrestling prospect in the entire business and Bronson Reed likely has at least one reign in his future with a World Championship. There’s an outside chance every single person in this match could be in the WWE Hall of Fame some day.

Now, whether the story comes together in a meaningful way is unclear. There's a reason Survivor Series has slipped compared to the other Big 4 PLEs. We’ll have to see whether the match is written like a glorified greatest hits house show or proves to be a big character building step toward whatever we get at WrestleMania. Fingers crossed it’s the latter.

Regardless, the other matches should pay off some storylines with a bit more simmer. Stephanie Vaquer and Nikki Bella are going to pay off their friendship turned rivals storyline. John Cena and Dominik Mysterio are going to have their long-awaited rematch, which should feature a really hot crowd in Dom’s hometown of San Diego, and there’s a lot of swirling tension and long-building storylines intersecting in the women’s WarGames match.

Before I get into what’s probably going to happen though, here’s a look back at my track record in WWE predictions, which I’ve done for every PLE since WrestleMania 38. I've highlighted the bigger events this year, plus my overall tally...

Men's WarGames Match: Brock Lesnar, Drew McIntyre, Logan Paul, Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed vs Roman Reigns, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Jey Uso And Big Jim Uso

It’s hard picking a winner in a match like this when it’s unclear what story WWE is trying to tell. Bron Breakker and Bronson Reed vs all the babyfaces on the Raw roster has a been a recurring theme over the last several months. Their manager Paul Heyman has lingering bad blood with Roman Reigns and CM Punk. Cody Rhodes and Drew McIntyre have already had multiple world championship matches over the past few months and are still actively feuding. There are definitely story beats here and threads the writers can use, but they’re all pulling in a lot of different directions.

I’ve been saying for months that WWE needs to make The Vision stronger. They need to make Bronson Reed and Bron Breakker legitimate main event threats in the absence of former stable leader Seth Rollins. They’ve flirted with doing that a bit, as Reed picked up a huge win over Roman Reigns and Breakker seems likely to win The World Heavyweight Championship at some point, but they need to do more to get them there. They still feel a step behind the true main eventers in this match.

I’d like to think this will be their big breakout moment, but sometimes Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company have a hard time pulling the trigger. Drew McIntyre has felt ready to break out and be a World Champion again since his epic feud with CM Punk, but he just keeps losing in every big moment. LA Knight has been main event levels of over for literally years, and he’s still never won a World Championship. So, I don’t know. I want to say this is the moment the villains assert control and push WWE in an exciting new direction, but I’ll believe it when I see it.

Predicted Winner: The Good Guys

The Women’s WarGames Match: Charlotte Flair, Alexa Bliss, Rhea Ripley, Iyo Sky and AJ Lee Vs Becky Lynch, Kairi Sane, Asuka, Nia Jax and Lash Legend

Becky Lynch has been on one of the best runs of her entire career. I’m personally enjoying her more in this very moment than I ever have, and that’s saying a lot, given I think she’s one of the best female wrestlers ever. Asuka and Kairi Sane also have a nice little abusive plotline going that’ll probably end with the two of them having a WrestleMania match. I also like seeing Lash Legend on the main roster and think she’s a great fit working alongside Nia Jax, who has been mostly terrific since her re-hiring. I like this villains team.

But come’on. Whatever happens in this match will have to do with advancing the plot for the superstars on the faces. We’ve seen a lot of tension between Rhea Ripley and Charlotte Flair. Everyone is kinda expecting that, at some point, we’ll see a breakdown in the relationships of Charlotte and Alexa Bliss and Rhea and Iyo Sky. It’s entirely possible those will literally be WrestleMania matches too. I think it’s a little too early to see them turn on each other though; so, I’m going to be really basic here and say babyfaces stand tall.

Predicted Winner: The Faces

Stephanie Vaquer (Champion) Vs Nikki Bella For The Women’s World Championship

Nikki Bella is only three years older than Charlotte Flair and is two years younger than Asuka, but she rose to prominence during a time when women’s wrestling was transitioning from an era that was mostly about personality and showmanship to an era that demands high level in-ring work. Bella is capable between the ropes and is partly responsible for the much higher expectations fans now have for women’s matches, but there are times in which she still feels more like a legend returning than a current WWE superstar.

That’s not a bad thing. I’ve loved all the recent runs we’ve gotten from Trish Stratus, as an example, but I never expected Trish to beat Tiffany Stratton when they fought for the title. Similarly, I don’t expect Nikki Bella to beat Stephanie Vaquer for the title. That doesn’t mean I can’t visualize a scenario in the future in which she’s World Champion again, but she needs to get the audience to buy in a little more and get just a hair faster and more aggressive in the ring to be on that main event level.

Once again to be clear, I absolutely love Nikki. I’m glad she’s back in WWE. I want to see her on my screen every week, but I think she’s going to need to get a storyline a little more over with the audience to pick up the momentum she needs to be seen on that top tier.

Predicted Winner: Stephanie Vaquer

John Cena (Champion) Vs Dominik Mysterio For The Intercontinental Championship

I think it’s easier to think about this match by working backwards. This will be, most likely, Cena’s second to last match in WWE. So, do we think he’ll defend the Intercontinental Championship during his last match? Do we think he’ll lose his last match? If so, do we think WWE would have him lose two consecutive matches to end his career?

I think that last question is the most important one. I know Sting won his retirement match and there are a lot of wrestling fans clamoring to see Cena go out on top, but I think he’s an old school guy and is going to want to go out on his back. I think he’ll probably lose to Gunther in one final send-off, which means, I think, he really needs to win here.

A loss is not going to hurt Dominik Mysterio, and in some ways, it might actually help elevate him. He’s emerged as one of the biggest stars in the entire wrestling business, and there’s no reason to think his cheat-to-win, heelish tactics will be forever limited to the midcard. He could absolutely be a world champion. At this point, he could even win the Royal Rumble. So, yeah, I think Cena is going to retain here in a wild match the crowd will be super hot for.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

John Cena’s retirement tour has been a mixed bag. It’s not as bad as some make it out to be, but it’s also not really that great of a send-off for a wrestler some would call the Greatest of all Time. Over the past 11 months, we’ve seen Cena turn heel, put on one of the most polarizing WrestleMania main events, check off some dream matches, and become a Grand Slam Champion. But after watching his final appearance on Raw, I’ve realized what this farewell tour has been missing.

In case you missed out on the most recent episode of Raw with a Netflix subscription, Cena teamed up with Sheamus and Rey Mysterio to take on the Judgment Day in a wonderful, exciting, crowd-pleasing six-man tag match. Not only did it move along some great feuds, but it was a lot of fun, and I think that’s what this run has been missing.

Watching John Cena Team With Sheamus And Rey Mysterio Was Just So Much Fun

When Sheamus and Rey Mysterio ran into the ring to save John Cena from a beatdown at the hands of the despicable Dominik Mysterio and his Judgment Day buddies Finn Balor and JD McDonagh, I knew we were about to have a fun six-man tag match. However, I didn’t expect to have this much fun watching these three veterans take out the trio of heels by spamming finishers to get the 1-2-3.

This felt like one of those matches you’d see on the WWE Holiday Tour house show circuit to send the fans home happy. I mean, it had the faces doing a “15-Knuckle Shuffle,” a combined 30 chest chops with the heels on the ropes, and Rey Mysterio performing a double 619. Yeah, it was fan service, but that’s the point of wrestling shows.

More Multi-Man Tag Matches Could Have Added So Much To His Final Run

Though I’ve had some fun watching Cena’s final run (I had a blast with my son at the 17-time world champion’s final St. Louis show), so much of it was bogged down by that heel turn that a lot of the enjoyment was sucked out of it. I feel like WWE could have gotten a lot more out of Cena’s availability by having him pair up with or square off against some of his former rivals, allies, and newcomers.

These matches are predictable, but they’re fun. Again, they’re FUN. And with this final run of Cena’s being a celebration of his career and legacy, I honestly think that having him participate in some throwback six or eight-man matches could have accomplished so much. However, if this ends up being Cena’s final multi-man match, at least it was one to remember.

Hiroshi Tanahashi’s Retirement Tour In NJPW Has Been Full Of These Multi-Man Matches

Late last year, I wrote about all the reasons I was excited for wrestling in 2025, and one of the things I was looking forward to the most was watching John Cena and Hiroshi Tanahashi’s retirement tours in WWE and NJPW, respectively. Though Tanahashi is getting ready to take on longtime rival Kazuchika Okada in a highly anticipated singles match at Wrestle Kingdom 20, the Japanese superstar has had so many multi-man matches throughout his final run.

This has allowed him to tag with a ton of different wrestlers in various promotions, which have allowed him to take on new opponents and longtime foes while also conserving his energy and warding off injuries. Looking back, I really wish WWE had taken a similar route with Cena.

With only a few weeks left before John Cena puts an end to his stellar in-ring career, hopefully, we will see more of this at some of the upcoming WWE events before December.

Like other types of entertainment, professional wrestling is a subjective art form. What one person sees as the greatest match of all time can be seen as trash to someone else, and vice versa. Just about every wrestling fan has a list of matches that fall into the former category that they’ll vouch for no matter what. And, it appears John Cena, who is weeks away from retiring, is just like the rest of us.

I recently stumbled upon some old comments the 17-time world champion made on After the Bell with Corey Graves back in 2020, where he revealed that his favorite match of all time was The Rock vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18. After hearing Cena’s pick for his go-to match and the reason behind it, I totally understand why he chose this electric WrestleMania contest. Let me explain…

In Terms Of Spectacle, Rock Vs. Hogan At WrestleMania 18 Is In A League Of Its Own

Wrestling is at its best when it’s a spectacle, and The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan was that. The first in-ring appearance by Hogan after spending the better part of the previous decade at rival company WCW, the “Icon vs. Icon” match was hyped as a massive spectacle that millions of fans around the world and in the 68,000 packed Toronto SkyDome were dying to see. That capacity crowd, who were standing for the entire 16-minute singles match, made the whole contest even more electric.

When addressing the match in the 2020 podcast appearance, Cena explained that the noise and magic from the audience that night added so much excitement, not just for those watching, but also for the two competitors in the ring. You know, he’s not wrong, as there are multiple times throughout the match where both The Rock and the late Hulk Hogan have looks of disbelief on their faces from the unprecedented and rousing reaction.

It's Not The Best Wrestling Match Of All Time, But It's So Electric

While Rock vs. Hogan is far from being the best wrestling match of all time or a five-star classic by any stretch of the imagination, there’s no denying the fact that it was electric. Sure, there were better matches on the card that March 2002 night when it comes to pure wrestling skill and work rate, but Rock and Hogan, with help from the crowd, gave us one of the most entertaining experiences of all time.

It was like a perfect storm in that everything fell into place at the right time. Hogan’s return, Rock at the peak of his popularity, a massive stadium, it all created an atmosphere like no other. From the entrances (Hogan using his NWO theme from his heel days in WCW) to the stare-off that started the match to Hogan shaking his finger at Rock to the two embracing after the pinfall, it was pure magic. I’m getting excited just thinking about it!

Honestly, This Is The Match I Show People When Getting Them Into WWE

As much as I want to show people some of the crazier Kenta Kobashi vs. Mitsuharu Misawa matches or PWG’s Steen Wolf PPV DVD, when I’m trying to get someone into wrestling, I turn to Rock vs. Hogan at WrestleMania 18. While it’s not my favorite wrestling match of all time, I’ve always felt it’s a great entry point for someone who’s never watched before. It has the name recognition with two of the biggest WWE Champions of all time, it has some great wrestling moments, it tells a tremendous story, and, like I said earlier, it’s a spectacle.

This is what I used when I would making a case for wrestling as a teenager; again in college, when I would have friends over and they’d laugh about my love of the sport; when my wife and I first started dating; and when I was trying to get my kids into wrestling a few years ago. All in all, it’s a great entry point that can lead new fans in so many different directions.

Also, That Double-Turn On The Fly Is One Of The Greatest Wrestling Moments Of All Time

In the years leading up to the match, Hollywood Hogan was one of, if not the biggest, heel in professional wrestling (he and Vince McMahon were swapping positions a lot back then), and The Rock was in the middle of a great babyface run. Though Rock had started to leave for stretches of time to kick off his Hollywood career, he was very much still one of the top stars of the company. So, having Hogan be the heel and Rock the face was the way to go, right? Well, about that…

Pretty much as soon as the match started, the crowd started to cheer for Hogan and boo Rock, resulting in one of the best double-turns in WrestleMania history (I would say best, but “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Bret “The Hitman” Hart exists). In a spur-of-the-moment decision, and after reading the room, Rock started using a more heelish style of offense while Hogan babyfaced it up like it was 1985 again. Nearly a quarter-century later, those two swapping roles on the fly is still just so awesome to watch.

How To Watch Rock Vs. Hogan To See What Cena (And I) Mean

So, after hearing what John Cena had to say about Rock vs. Hogan, as well as my ramblings about it being such a great moment in WrestleMania history, there’s a chance you want to check it out for yourself. Well, it’s never been easier to watch it.

If you want to watch the entire WrestleMania 18 card to see what WWE was like at the time (and get mad about this not headlining the show), the event is streaming with a Peacock subscription. However, if you just want to watch the match and its immediate aftermath, the WWE YouTube page has it in all its glory.

Stream The Rock. vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania 18 on YouTube.

Seriously, if you haven’t already, go back and watch The Rock and Hollywood Hulk Hogan bring the house down. Hell, go back and watch it even if you’ve sat through it countless times.

Wrestling fans are always an opinionated bunch, but even by our obnoxious standards, the screaming around John Cena’s retirement tour has been something else. Over the last several months, you haven’t been able to go anywhere on social media where wrestling fans congregate without seeing a thousand over the top opinions about The Greatest Of All Time’s last run and what should have been done differently.

I get it. As someone who loves John Cena and watches every single minute of main roster programming every single week, I’ve been up in my feelings about some of the booking decisions too, but with only a handful of dates left, I think it’s time to pause and have an honest conversation about Cena’s retirement tour.

If anyone tells you it has all been fantastic, don’t believe them. If anyone tells you it’s all been bad, don’t believe them. The Greatest Of All Time’s last run has not been the greatest of all time. It has been beset by some really bad booking decisions, and some problems outside Cena’s control. It has also, however, featured some really good matches, some great promos and plenty of reminders of why Cena is one of the best to ever do it. So, let’s put aside all the hyperbole and have a genuine conversation about how it’s all going.

Let’s start with the good. Cena’s work on the microphone has largely been fantastic. His promo battle with Cody Rhodes ahead of WrestleMania was fantastic. Despite being a heel, Cena (briefly) got the entire crowd behind him, and it looked like they were going to fully turn on Rhodes, until he proved why he’s been the face of WWE the past few years and pulled them back in. Cena’s take on CM Punk’s Pipe Bomb was also a really memorable highlight, as was his reference to R-Truth after he’d been let go. And let’s not forget him ripping on that kid in Europe, which produced an all-time reaction shot that’ll likely appear in montages for years to come.

The work inside the ring has also produced some fantastic moments. Cena’s match with Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam is a candidate to make a career best list from either. Clearly, the two of them weren’t happy with how WrestleMania went, and they went out there desperate to prove they could put on an all-time classic. They did. Cena’s match this past weekend with AJ Styles will also be remembered as one of the most enjoyable of his entire career. It was a fan service overload, but it was also a reminder of how much both men love the business and care about all the performers who helped get them there.

And then, of course, there’s his aura. All the biggest stars in the history of wrestling have had a presence about them. They’ve felt like stars, like they have some extra invisible ingredient even other main eventers don’t have. Cena has it, and even in his late 40s, it hasn’t gone away. From the faces he makes, to the lines he improvizes, to his timing in the ring, to his entrance, to his iconic moves, he’s an all-time star and one of the best to ever do it, and every time he’s gotten in the ring, it has been a reminder of that.

But there’s also been some bad. He turned on Cody Rhodes and joined forces with The Rock and Travis Scott in a moment that was being compared to Hulk Hogan’s iconic heel turn at the time. Unfortunately, The Rock stopped making WWE appearances shortly thereafter, and it left WWE with a storyline that didn’t make any logical sense. They tried to continue it only using Travis Scott, and it didn’t work at all, to the point where it overshadowed and ruined Rhodes and Cena’s match at WrestleMania.

The appearance schedule has also sometimes been a little bit frustrating. Cena went into the year committed to doing 36 dates, which is way more than he’s done in recent years. We should all be stoked we got him for that many, but realistically, it hasn’t felt like quite enough. There have been times in which he was able to do weekly appearances and really build a program ahead of a match, but there have also been times in which the story has felt a little light because he hasn’t been around. He’s a huge Hollywood star. We should all be happy he spent so much time in WWE this year, but it’s also fair for fans to complain a little about it.

The work inside the ring has also been inconsistent. Cena has been open about his body breaking down and how hard it is to physically wrestle in his late 40s. It was never fair to expect him to put on all-time bangers at his age, but whether you’re 25 or 55, if you’re out there wrestling in front of a live audience, fans are going to have opinions about your abilities. There have been times in which Cena was fantastic (vs Cody at SummerSlam, vs Styles at Crown Jewel), and there have been some times in which it didn’t work quite as well (vs Cody at ‘Mania, vs Brock at WrestlePalooza).

Cena still has a handful of dates left. He’s going to appear at Survivor Series, and he’s going to have his last match at Saturday Night’s Main Event in December. He’s also going to show up a few times to promote those matches. As such, it’s not fair to make any official proclamation on how this retirement tour went, but most of the way through, I think we should all be honest about what we’ve seen.

If someone tells you it’s been bad, they’re flat out wrong. If someone tells you it’s been perfect, they’re flat out wrong. It has been a series of highs and lows and a combination of good booking decisions and bad booking decisions. It has been a reminder of why John Cena is one of the best to ever do it, and even with all its imperfections, I’m so thankful we got it.

Do you remember the last time there was a WWE PLE without a title on the line? Sure, Triple H and company will tell you that technically both the men and women’s Crown Jewel Championships are on the line this weekend in Perth, Australia, but to be honest, the wrestling fanbase hasn’t really decided whether to care about those titles. Maybe 20 from now, saying someone won eight Crown Jewel Championships will mean something, but since the concept is so new, the two yearly matches kind of just feel like glorified exhibitions.

For those of you who may be out of the loop, WWE rolled out a concept last year called the Crown Jewel Championship. Each year, the men’s WWE Champion and the World Heavyweight Champion face each other for the Crown Jewel Championship, and the women in those positions do the same thing. The individual titles they hold don’t change hands. It’s sort of a bragging rights thing, but even so, it does give us a sense of what the pecking order is.

As with any other prominent PLE matches, the winner always receives a nice little shot of positive momentum, as they can deliver a fiery promo talking about how they beat one of the most prominent wrestlers on the roster. The loser, of course, gets the same amount of negative momentum and has to explain away their loss. That stuff does matter. It gives us a sense of how WWE feels about its own champions internally, and in the case of Seth Rollins in particular, it’s probably going to tell us a lot about the future of his stable, The Vision.

Before I get into that, though, here’s a quick snapshot of how my predictions have been going with some notable events, plus my overall record. I’ve done every PLE since WrestleMania 38, and while my record is not good enough to fight for the Crown Jewel Championship, it might at least get me a spot as a talking head on the pre-show.

Roman Reigns Vs Bronson Reed In An Australian Street Fight

I’m not really sure what to say here. These two fought back at Clash In Paris, and I hoped and predicted Bronson Reed would win. It was a bold take, given Reigns almost never loses, but I felt like my reasoning was sound. Reigns was about to leave to go film Street Fighter, and Reed was starting to pick up momentum after he stole The Tribal Chief’s shoes and started wearing them around his neck. I felt like he could beat Reigns up badly, which would explain his absence from WWE programming, and a signature win would cause wrestling fans to look at Reed as a possible main event player and not just Seth Rollins’ henchman.

Well, some of that happened. Reed beat up Reigns so badly that he had to be stretchered out and missed more than a month of WWE programming to go film his movie, but the beatdown only happened after Roman won the match. It was a finish designed to protect both men, but it was also a missed opportunity to elevate Reed, who no longer carries around shoes and has lost a bit of his momentum.

Given this match is an Australian Street Fight, there is certainly a chance Bron Breakker interferes to help Bronson Reed finally beat Roman Reigns. That would be my preference, as I really want to see Reed elevated, but if they were going to let him get a win over Reigns, it confuses me why they didn’t just do that last time when he was going to be out for more than a month anyway. It seems like last time was preferable for a tsunami of reasons, but I’m not in the behind the scenes meetings, so maybe I’m missing something.

I think the long-term plan here is for Roman to finish his feud with Reed, then feud with Breakker, and then feud with Rollins, culminating in a WrestleMania match next year. So, I’m going to predict Roman is going to come out on top here and then start working with the other Bron moving forward. We’ll see though.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns

John Cena Vs AJ Styles

In my Wrestlepalooza predictions, I said there’s a real chance Cena doesn’t lose again for his entire retirement tour. Turns out I was wrong. Not only did he lose to Brock Lesnar at the last PLE, he got eviscerated in embarrassing fashion like it was SummerSlam 2014. I was shocked. Many WWE fans on social media were outraged at the booking decision. Now, Cena is back for a match against AJ Styles, and fans are wondering if we could see him lose again.

I don’t think so. Yes, anything is on the table, as we’ve seen several shocking times during Cena’s retirement tour, but I don’t think they’re going to have him lose two matches in a row when he has so few dates left. Plus, as much as I love Styles, he hasn’t exactly had a ton of signature wins over the last few years. Brock always gets pushed to the top every time he comes back, but nothing about Styles’ booking lately indicates they’re getting ready to put a rocket on him.

I think Cena is going to get back on track here with a win and then I think we’ll start getting whatever story leads into his final match.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

Rhea Ripley And Iyo Sky Vs Asuka And Kairi Sane

Rhea Ripley isn’t the only Australian on the card this weekend in Perth. Bronson Reed is also from Down Under, but whether he wins or loses, I have a hard time imagining Rhea putting anyone else over here. She’s the biggest female star in the history of the business, and if she’s not going to be in the championship picture, she needs to be asserting her dominance in matches like this.

I think there’s a good chance we could get a breakdown of Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley’s friendship at some point, possibly culminating in a WrestleMania match between the two, but we’re a long ways out from that. What’s more likely is Iyo continues her feud with her former friends the Kabuki Warriors after this, and she has a match with Asuka at a major upcoming PLE, possibly SummerSlam.

Regardless though, Iyo and Rhea are almost certainly going over. This is not going to main event, and if Rhea loses, the crowd is not going to be happy for the rest of the show. Plus, there’s just no point in the Kabuki Warriors winning. Asuka has already misted both Rhea and Iyo and has a perceived upper hand in the feud. It makes all the sense in the world for them to even the score here.

Predicted Winner: Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky

Stephanie Vaquer Vs Tiffany Stratton For The Women’s Crown Jewel Championship

This should be a terrific match between two of the most talented and athletic women on the entire roster. Vaquer, having just won her world championship, is going to be hungry and eager to prove herself. She hasn’t made many appearances on WWE PLEs, and this is a great chance for her to really announce her arrival.

It’s also a good opportunity for Tiffy Time. She’s been WWE Women’s Champion since January, but apart from a feud with Charlotte Flair that was notable for the wrong reasons, she’s spent a lot of that time working with women significantly bigger than her like Nia Jax and Jade Cargill. That’s allowed her to play a certain kind of role, but with Stephanie, who is much smaller and more mobile, it should allow her to do some moves and exchanges she hasn’t been able to bust out in big moments.

As for who is going to win, I have no idea. There’s not really a feud or a lot of backstory between these two. Maybe they’ll want to announce the arrival of Vaquer and show her as championship material with a win here, but that would be coming at the expense of Tiffy, who they clearly see a lot in, given her extended reign. Maybe they’ll want to remind us how good Tiffy can be with the right partner in the ring and justify the rocket they’ve strapped to her with a win here. We’ll see.

Predicted Winner: Tiffy Time

Cody Rhodes Vs Seth Freakin’ Rollins For The Men’s Crown Jewel Championship

Look: The Vision hasn’t been going as well as I’m sure everyone involved wants. Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman, Bron Breakker, Bronson Reed and Becky Lynch have all done some good work individually and had some nice moments and matches, but they don’t have a ton of momentum right now. A lot of their weekly segments, which are arguably the A-Plots of WWE programming, have been halfway decent but not really a reason unto themselves to tune into Raw.

There needs to be a better story, and WWE is trying to create that right now with this match. Rollins is suffering from some kind of crisis of confidence since he’s lost to Cody Rhodes three times since The American Nightmare returned (including in that iconic Hell In A Cell match), and Heyman told him very directly this week on Raw that he’ll lose the respect of his underlings if he doesn’t win the match. That has the potential for an exciting story, win or lose.

I think, in this case, it’s probably going to lead to a win. The Vision is a relatively new stable, and if the story is that Breakker and Reed are going to lose confidence in Rollins if he loses, I don’t know that there’s enough reason for them to actually stay with him. He hasn’t shown them enough success to stick out through trying times, but it also feels weird to break up the stable so quickly. That would be a sign it didn’t work, and Triple H, Bruce Prichard and company were just cutting their losses and moving on. I think it’s way too early to do that. So, by that logic, I think Rollins needs to win.

Predicted Winner: Seth Rollins

While it’s true that his wrestling catchphrase was “You can’t see me,” we’re going to be seeing a whole lot more of ‘Mr. Hustle, Loyalty, & Respect’ with all these upcoming John Cena movies and TV shows. Over the past decade, the 16-time world champion has transformed himself from one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time into a major player in some of the best action movies with unforgettable moments in the Fast & Furious franchise, one of the best DC characters in recent memory with his take on Peacemaker, and various other comedies that have given him a chance to show off his comedic chops.

And it doesn’t look like the wrestler-turned-actor is going anywhere anytime soon, as there are a ton of upcoming John Cena movies, TV shows, and perhaps even appearances at some future WWE events before the year is out. Let’s take a look now…

Peacemaker Season 2 - 2025

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but Peacemaker Season 2 is on the way at some point in the not-so-distant future, and you bet your ass John Cena is going to be back as Christopher Smith. The follow-up to the incredibly popular, fun-to-watch, and violent Max original series, which further explored Cena’s character from The Suicide Squad, sounds like it’s going to be just as ridiculous as what’s come before, and honestly, that’s some very good news.

It looks like the Peacemaker Season 2 cast will feature a lot of those familiar faces from the first go-around (as well as a major character from The Suicide Squad), but now we just need to figure out how each will play into the show’s new title sequence (no pressure, right?). That said, James Gunn revealed on Threads in September 2024 that the show would return to Max in “2025 after Superman.”

Matchbox - TBD

After having a small yet unforgettable part in Barbie, John Cena will soon jump behind the wheel of another adaptation of a popular toy brand when he leads the upcoming Matchbox movie. Though we don’t know how the line of diecast cars will be turned into a big-picture spectacle, Mattel Films and Apple have selected Extraction’s Sam Hargrave to direct, which leads us to believe that it will be more action-oriented.

Expect to hear more about this exciting project, including plot details and other casting announcements, in the coming months.

Heads Of State - TBD

Remember a few summers ago when John Cena and Idris Elba made The Suicide Squad one of the best comic book movies in recent memory? Well, the pair are going to give it another go in the long-in-the-works action movie at some point in the future, but Amazon Studios hasn’t announced exactly when. Back in October 2020, THR reported that the pair of action stars would lead the project in undisclosed roles.

Nearly three years later, in May 2023, Deadline reported that the project was alive and well and would also feature the likes of Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Paddy Considine, Stephen Root, Carla Gugino, Jack Quaid, Sarah Niles, and several others. And while plot details have been kept under wraps, the outlet described the film as “Air Force One meets Midnight Run.”

When speaking with Collider in April 2024, Elba described Heads of State, one of his many upcoming films, as an “Incredible Adventure,” which has us all jazzed up.

John Cena’s WWE Farewell Tour (January - December 2025)

After John Cena showed up in the WrestleMania XL main event (along with so many others), fans have been wondering when we’ll see the decorated wrestler again in the future and if it will be his last run. During an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show the day after WrestleMania in April 2024, Cena said he still has “a little bit of rubber left on the tires” before hanging up the proverbial boots, adding that he “put a line in the sand” for himself at 50. He’s currently 47 years old.

When speaking with Collider in August 2024, Cena explained that he is giving his entire 2025 calendar to WWE and that he will begin his “farewell tour” in January and end it in December, with 36 dates around the world. With the Royal Rumble, WrestleMania 41, and numerous other major events slated for 2025, this could be a legendary and final run for the wrestling icon.

Coyote Vs. Acme - TBD

Coyote vs. Acme, one of several movies Warner Bros. Discovery has been trying to shelve over the past couple of years, very well may never happen. However, until the film’s fate has been decided and all prints of it are locked away in the water tower like the Animaniacs, there is still hope we’ll see the live-action/animated comedy in which the iconic Looney Tunes character decides to sue the Acme Corporation after years of the products failing to help him capture the Road Runner.

If the movie ever sees the light of day, we’ll be able to see John Cena take on the Acme Corporation’s lawyer as he spars in court with Wile E. Coyote’s lawyer (played by Will Forte). And for the sake of diehard Looney Tunes fans and newcomers alike, we really hope this movie comes out.

The Janson Directive - TBD

Another project involving John Cena that has been in the works for some time now is The Janson Directive, the film adaptation of Robert Ludlum's 2002 novel of the same name. Cena's one-time WWE rival Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson was originally attached to star in the lead role, but abandoned the project in 2018, at which point his WrestleMania 28 and 29 opponent stepped in and took over. At the time of the announcement, it was revealed that Johnson would stay on as an executive producer of the movie.

For those not aware of the novel, it centers around Paul Johnson, an ex-Navy SEAL and United States spy who goes on the run after a mission goes awry. The role of a former member of the military is right up John Cena's alley as he got his start in the WWE-produced The Marine in 2006, and the 2017 military thriller The Wall. But with no new information on the status of The Janson Directive, we'll have to check back on this one in the future.

Recently Released John Cena Movies And Shows

While we’re looking forward to all those upcoming John Cena movies (and wrestling appearances), there are some great film and TV appearances from the wrestler-turned-actor from earlier in 2024 that are worth checking out.

The Simpsons Season 36 - September 29, 2024

Though it was just a brief cameo, John Cena’s appearance on The Simpsons during the Season 36 premiere in September 2024 created one of the show’s best moments in years. In the episode, an animated Cena comes to the rescue when the Comic Book Guy’s wife is in labor. The randomness, absurdity, and wholesomeness of the one-minute sequence is great, but you add in Cena’s signature charm and you have an all-time great moment. The “You Can’t See Me” taunt at the end with the newborn is the cherry on top.

Stream The Simpsons on Hulu.

Jackpot - Released August 15, 2024

In August 2024, John Cena and Awkwafina teamed up for one of the most action-packed comedies of the summer with Jackpot. Directed by Paul Feig, this outrageous Amazon original movie follows a struggling actor (played by Awkwafina) who wins the lottery and has to turn to a freelance lottery protection agent (played by Cena) to survive and win the $3.6 billion prize.

Featuring one of the funniest end credits sequences in years, this off-the-wall, and over-the-top comedy is a fun way to kill a couple of hours.

Stream Jackpot on Prime Video.

The Bear Season 3 - June 26, 2024

John Cena showed up for a minute (well, more like three) halfway through The Bear Season 3 with his cameo as Sammy Fak, Carmy’s intense, towering, and a little bit annoying cousin. Sammy is mostly there to rib his brothers about an SD card and introduce the concept of “haunting” in the restaurant, but it’s honestly great. Short, but great.

And who knows, maybe the cameo will lead to Cena getting a larger role when The Bear Season 4 premieres at some point down the road.

Stream The Bear Season 3 on Hulu.

Ricky Stanicky - Released March 7, 2024

In 2024, Peter Farrelly’s long-in-the-works Ricky Stanicky finally saw release, just with John Cena instead of Jim Carrey in the titular role. Cena, who critics called a “true scene stealer,” gives one of the funniest and most over-the-top performances (this is saying something) with his take on an actor filling in for the film’s heroes’ non-existent best friend and longtime scapegoat.

If you’re into gross-out comedies that really earn the R-rating and somehow missed out on this in March 2024, it’s time to make a change.

Stream Ricky Stanicky on Prime Video.

Expect to hear much more about all of these upcoming John Cena movies and TV shows in the coming weeks and months, but in the meantime, don’t forget to take a look at our breakdown of the 2025 movie schedule.

Spoilers for Pacemaker’s penultimate episode are below for anyone who hasn’t yet streamed it via HBO Max subscription.

I’ll admit it: I’m not yet ready for Peacemaker Season 2 to wrap up its run on the 2025 TV schedule. I’ve enjoyed this multi-dimensional storyline more than I did the first season’s Butterflies narrative, and even though fans’ Overman theories didn’t even up panning out, I still loved all the big ways James Gunn & Co. set up the finale for these characters, and I have more than a few hopes and wishes for that final episode.

While it's not even clear yet whether or not Peacemaker Season 3 will happen, or if these characters' stories will be followed in other projects, more loose ends than desired are still dangling freely. So while I know not ALL of my checklist items will pan out entirely, I'm throwing all of them at the wall in the hopes that some of them will stick.

Keith Formally Declaring Revenge On Peacemaker

Perhaps the easiest way to set up Season 3 would be with a key villain already set to rise up and come after our titular hero. A hero who is mainly responsible for the accidental death of Earth-X's Christopher Smith, and is tangentially responsible for the death of that family's patriarch Auggie, as well as the near-death of David Denman's Keith. That episode very clearly kept him alive and seething by the end, but I'll still need a far more direct declaration from Captain Triumph himself regarding his future intentions. (With the add-on assumption that Keith's home portal device remains intact and usable when he's back up and at 'em.)

A Resolution To Peacemaker And Harcourt’s The Will They? / Won’t They Thing

Considering every single one of this season's threats not named Rick Flag stemmed from Peacemaker's emotional yearning for Harcourt, the Season 2 finale 100% needs to follow through on this storyline, even though I presume obstacles will still factor in. In the form of Harcourt agreeing to a romantic relationship, only for Peacemaker to get sent on a years-long mission to Mars or some other far-flung location where he and Harcourt would be unable to see each other. Not that I want that, but I also don't necessarily want a potential Season 3 to just be goo-goo-eyed Chris and Emilia.

Proof That Earth-X’s Vigilante Survived The Police Shootout

I wasn't ready for "another Vigilante" to be among my favorite things about this season, but one version of me out there probably saw it coming. I don't need anything major here to pay that off, just a quick look-see to make sure our boy made it through that hectic shoot-out inside the Smith household. Although let me say it now, I do NOT want to see him survive that altercation just to have him get jump-shock blasted in the face by one of Keith's weapons. He's got so many other animals to learn facts about then disperse facts about.

Tim Meadows’ Langston Fleury To Get The Spotlight One More TIme

Tim Meadows' offbeat A.R.G.U.S. agent came out of the gate wielding such personality traits as the name "Langston Fluery," a bird-blindness affliction, and very specific views about housewarming gifts. But it doesn't seem like he's been part of recent episodes nearly enough, and I hope he gets quite the noteworthy sign-off, especially if we don't get to see him in the DCU anymore. (Get him in the comics, DC!)

Adebayo Patching Things Up With Keeya

Being chased by an entire neighborhood of racists is the kind of thing that can change a person's perspective on just about anything. I dunno if that'll have anything to do with where the Adebayo wives' future, but I feel like Leota may want to take a step away from this kind of life for a while to rekindle things, especially if Peacemaker is either going to prison or going on squad-like missions for A.R.G.U.S. and Amanda Waller.

The Kyphoid Alien To Do Something Plot-Related

Okay, so part of me doesn't actually want Peacemaker to pay off the pet-incinerating alien character that's popped up a handful of times thus far, including in the opening dance. I do appreciate pure randomness for the sake of it. But another part of me pretty much needs for the Kyphoid entity's existence to matter to the overall story. Because I can't think of a bunch of obvious ways for it to happen, and those are the times when James Gunn tends to win me over the most. Maybe he'll get his own spinoff, and we'll find out this is the DCU's Martian Manhunter, but it's Kyphoid Manhunter. Not quite as catchy. Scratch that idea. Do it justice, James.

Rick Flag Reveals Wild New Plan For Portal Device

Certainly whatever Frank Grillo's Rick Flag gets up to next will have implications for James Gunn's Superman sequel Man of Tomorrow, and I can only hope that it's not just a means for Lex Luthor to eventually imprison more of his enemies and jilters. But I hope that fans get to see the A.R.G.U.S. director specifically revealing some wacky secret plans for the portal device. And okay, maybe it wouldn't be that wacky to learn that he just wants to use it to go and hang out with Earth-X's still-living Rick Flag Jr., even knowing that version is quite possibly a Nazi. But if it's an even weirder plan, I'm into that, too.

A Clayface Reference

The bigger wish here would be for a Batman reference, but I get that we're likely not going to get anything so blatant in this show after such direct tie-ins to Superman. But I don't think it's too far out of line to think that we could get a reference to the upcoming DCU film Clayface here, even if it's just a namecheck for Tom Rhys Harries' Matt Hagen as an actor in this universe, and nothing from the actual production on the James Watkins movie.

Find out right along with me what will happen when Peacemaker's Season 2 finale streams on HBO Max on Thursday, October 9, at 9:00 p.m. ET.

It seems like it was only yesterday when John Cena shocked the wrestling world by teasing and then later confirming his in-ring career was coming to an end. In the year and change since the “Doctor of Thuganomics” announced his in-ring retirement and kicked off his big farewell tour, Cena has taken on the likes of Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Randy Orton, and more.

But now, with his final upcoming WWE show announced for December 13, 2025 in Washington, D.C., we’re left wondering who he’ll face before leaving the proverbial boots (sneakers, in his case) in the ring. So, who do we think Cena will wrestle in his final match before ending his sure-thing WWE Hall of Fame career? Here’s a breakdown of possible opponents ranked from least to most likely…

Edge

Though this rumor has been shot down by pretty much everyone, there’s been a lot of talk about Edge leaving AEW for one final match against his longtime rival John Cena before the end of the year. Between Cena paying homage to Edge in the ring on SmackDown, and Edge matching that with a tribute at the All Out pay-per-view not long after, it’s long been thought that these two would square off one more time. Things reached a boiling point in September 2025 when Edge told Christian he was taking time off from AEW.

As much as the wrestling world would love to see this one go down one final time, it’s highly doubtful that two rival companies would play ball, even if it’s to close out the most successful wrestling career of the 21st century.

Chris Jericho

Chris Jericho and John Cena had some iconic matches against each other throughout the 2000s, and having the two square off one final time before the latter’s WWE run ends could be a fitting finish. With Jericho’s status in AEW up in the air, there’s been talk amongst fans that Y2J would return to WWE in the near future. However, Jericho told the Daily Mail (via Denise “Hollywood” Salcedo) in September 2025 that he wasn’t going anywhere for a while.

But again, this is wrestling we’re talking about, and wrestlers will go to great lengths to protect the business and avoid spoiling anything. Will that happen? We’re not entirely sure at this point, which is why Y2J vs. Cena is, so far, in the “less likely” camp.

The Rock

Cena turning hell and teaming up with “The Final Boss” at Elimination Chamber was one of the wildest wrestling moments of the year and quite possibly of all time, but the partnership didn’t really go anywhere. Though The Rock has largely distanced himself from WWE since the big heel turn in Toronto, it would be shocking if he didn’t have at least one more interaction with the man he feuded with for the better part of two years more than a decade ago.

Admittedly, this seems more like a WrestleMania main event than a special streaming event, but maybe WWE could pull it off and make it available for anyone with a Peacock subscription after moving all the PLEs to the new ESPN app. Though it seems unlikely to happen, this is one of the matches that fans want to see, as well as one that makes perfect sense considering how Cena needs to get some payback after The Rock turned him to the dark side earlier this year.

Joe Hendry

Say his name, and he’ll appear. Maybe it’s time for Joe Hendry to take on Cena before the legend wraps up his career. Arguably one of the most over wrestlers of the past five years, Hendry catapulted himself to superstardom with his catchy and over-the-top “I Believe in Joe Hendry” entrance theme and meme-worthy expression. With outlets like Cageside Seats reporting that the former TNA World Champ is being phased off TV to move over to NXT, this is something that could totally happen.

Sure, there are other NXT and WWE main roster wrestlers who are more likely to wrestle Cena before the end of the year, but few could use the rub more than Hendry. He already had a star-making performance against Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41, and this could take him to the next level.

Oma Femi

Oba Femi, who just dropped the NXT Championship to Ricky Saints in September 2025, feels like a star-in-the-making. The Nigerian heavyweight, who made his debut not even three years ago, has quickly risen to the top of WWE’s developmental system and will surely make an impact on either Raw or SmackDown in the months to come, if not sooner. One way to get him to the next level is by having him face off against Cena.

Similar to a young Cena running to the ring to challenge Kurt Angle on SmackDown more than 20 years ago, Femi demanding a match with the soon-to-be-retired former champ would create an iconic and unforgettable moment.

Roman Reigns

John Cena and Roman Reigns have had some slobbernockers over the years, and the two massive stars have had great in-ring chemistry in each of their bouts. Though other wrestlers could use a match against Cena more than the OTC, having these two go at it one final time would be a great “passing of the torch” moment in the nation’s capital.

Reigns hasn’t been champion since his historic title reign came to an end at WrestleMania 40 (Cena helped Cody Rhodes beat him), but getting one over on the man with more championships than any other WWE superstar would be huge and set him up for a great 2026.

Dom Mysterio

As crazy as it sounds, Cena has never won the Intercontinental Championship over the course of his 23-year career. With his scheduled appearances down to the single digits, he’s running out of time to claim the title that’s long eluded him. This means he’d have to wrestle Dominik Mysterio, whose held the belt since a career-defining match at WrestleMania 41 back in April.

Watching Cena take on Mysterio, who’s also the AAA Mega Champion after defeating El Hijo del Vikingo at Worlds Collide: Las Vegas in September, would be a dream come true for a lot of fans. The story writes itself, and Mysterio would go to new heights if he took on the man who beat his father multiple times.

Bron Breakker

Bron Breakker has been one of the fiercest and most electric wrestlers in WWE ever since his debut in NXT a few years ago, and taking on Cena in the wrestler-turned-actor’s final match would further elevate the second-generation grappler. Like Mysterio, Breakker’s career would go to new places if he became Cena’s final opponent.

Not only that, but his dynamic and hard-hitting in-ring style would work really well with Cena’s brand of wrestling, and claiming a victory over one of the greatest of all time would make Breakker look like even more of a monster.

Gunther

No surprise here, but Gunther is the wrestler with the best chance of taking on John Cena in the retiring wrestler’s final bout. While it is true that the former World Heavyweight Champion has been out of action since SummerSlam, December is still a couple of months away, giving him plenty of time to heal before meeting Cena in Washington, D.C.

It seems like WWE has big plans for Gunther, and with the Royal Rumble a little more than a month after the final Saturday Night’s Main Event of 2025, this could be one hell of a way of starting a big push (that hopefully leads to a match with Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania 42). Gunther is destined for bigger and better things, and this could be the way.

As has been the case for decades, anything and everything can happen in wrestling. That said, there’s a really good chance one of these matches comes to fruition.

Spoilers for anyone who hasn't yet watched Peacemaker's Episode 6 twist via HBO Max subscription, so be warned!

With its sixth episode, Peacemaker Season 2 really went there with the confirmation that the titular character's idyllic alternate dimension is actually the Nazi-run Earth X, which some viewers saw coming, and others were bamboozled by. (Judging by Fortnite axing the character's Season 2 dance emote, the game's studio was in the latter camp.)

The episode also featured a major cameo from Superman star Nicholas Hoult, which James Gunn says is helping to set-up for the upcoming sequel. But Lex isn't the looming threat that John Cena's Chris probably needs to worry about. His own short-sightedness is a bigger issue, I'd say, but in this case, I'm referring to potentially the most powerful being within Earth X: Overman. There's no confirmation that he's coming, but fans have been latching harder onto that idea.

Fans Really Think Overman Is Coming To Peacemaker's Earth X

For those unaware, Overman is the literal Nazi version of Superman on Earth-10, who came to being when Kal-El's rocket crashed on the other side of the planet instead of Kansas. It's a character type that the Arrowverse tapped into in Supergirl, with Melissa Benoist playing the evil version of her titular hero (with "Crisis on Earth-X" bringing evil heroes into those stories on the whole).

The feeling amongst many fans is that we'll be getting the DCU's iteration of Overman in one of Peacemaker's final three episodes of Season 2, with this being as clear a connection as can be.

Here's a smattering of other Overman-related posts from recent weeks (and then some):

• An OVERMAN appearance in Peacemaker would be insane - @blurayangel
• I'm certain Overman is appearing in Peacemaker now dude - @Themistmaker1
• Look, with the hype it's creating with the last two episodes of Peacemaker, I demand at minimum Overman, Overgirl, the Over Justice Gang, and everything over that might exist. - @Rabito_88
• gonna see someone face off against Peacemaker and Peacemaker is gonna be on the ground badly beaten and injured and and then the camera will move to the shadows showing Overman slowly walking towards the Peacemaker revealing himself and he says "its over, man!" then credits roll - @Sp1neYeager
• I'm sayin' it like it is: if David Corenswet shows up as Overman in Peacemaker right now, I'll get the hiccups. That James Gunn is coming out with Earth X right now is just brilliant on so many levels. - @DonSchnulze

It's almost a foregone conclusion that Overman is going to pop into the story soon, but the more complicated question revolves around who would be portraying the superpowered villain, specially in regards to James Gunn's recent comments.

Can Overman Appear In Peacemaker Without Involving David Corenswet Or Superman?

So here's the thing: James Gunn talked to Variety about all things Episode 6, and when asked specifically if fans will see "David Corenswet as the Earth X or Earth 1 versions of Superman on the show," Gunn seems to specifically debunk the notion that Corenswet will appear in Peacemaker. As he put it:

Had Gunn been talking about the characters and not the actors, it'd be easier to come away thinking that he was only talking about Superman not showing up. But it seems clear to me that he's saying Corenswet was disappointed to not appear in Peacemaker. But does that truly close the door on Overman showing up? Not entirely, although it would likely take some 'splaining.

Given Overman isn't a hooded or masked villain, with a face definitely meant to mirror that of our Earth's mightiest hero, to have anyone but Corenswet play him would possibly be a detriment to the character. Unless James Gunn worked some BTS magic and got Man of Steel star Henry Cavill to step in and make his DCU debut. That would be a wild way to pay off Cavill's truncated time as the Kryptonian, and one that would probably ruffle some feathers, while stoking plenty of others.

I would also be amused if David Corenswet was credited as being a different actor in the episode. Similarly, I would accept either of these fan theories playing out, especially the first one.

• How hilarious would it be if Overman makes a cameo in #Peacemaker finale and it’s played by none other than Antony Starr - @papyfaye
• Everyone is speculating Nazi Superman aka Overman appearing in Peacemaker...but we already have a BLUE EYED BLONDE like the nazis love, so it won't be Overman, it will be Overgirl aka Nazi Supergirl! - @justphishnmusk

Did James Gunn really work an evil Nazi Superman into his second season of Peacemaker, or are fans sieg-heil-ing up the wrong tree here? Find out when new episodes hit HBO Max on Thursdays.

Spoilers below for Peacemaker’s latest episode, “Ignorance Is Chris,” so be warned if you haven’t yet watched!

Still one of the most popular video games on the planet at any given moment, Fortnite is as much a pop culture sponge as it is a battle royale FPS, having introduced hundreds of reacl and fictional icons to its ranks, from Marvel’s Avengers and more Disney heroes to The Witcher’s Geralt to rap superstars Snoop Dogg and Eminem. Of course, not everything goes according to plan, as evidenced by Epic Games completely removing Peacemaker’s Season 2 dance emote from the game.

The official reasons for the removal of the digital add-on are somewhat murky, but things appear to be pretty cut and dry unofficially, as the game studio’s decision came after Peacemaker’s twist-laden sixth episode became available to stream via HBO Max subscription. The installment confirmed a major fan theory about the alternate dimension, revealing it to be a Nazi-embracing society somewhat similar to DC’s Earth X, though more directly inspired by Philip K Dick’s The Man in the High Castle. But did that new info add some controversial context to the opening dance?

That’s what Epic Games (and quite a few fans) seem to think, particularly when it comes to John Cena’s arm movements, which may or may not purposefully symbolize the Nazi swastika. The studio clearly didn’t want to chance it, and released this statement on the Fortnite Status X profile to explain why the Peacemaker dance was yanked.

While no one on WB or DC's side has come forward with any confirmations about the origins of Peacemaker's dance moves, Epic's statement even points to a potential decision reversal by noting "assuming it's not coming back," which leaves the door open for James Gunn & Co. to deny the Nazi comparison so that the emote could potentially be restored for gamers.

To be expected, fans had all kinds of reactions on Reddit and social media, with the majority of users seemingly agreeing with the decision to remove the emote, and understanding the negative connotations involved, while also questioning why no one behind the scenes brought this issue up before now. Here's a smattering of curious and disappointed responses.

• It’s kinda funny that no one at warner bros warned epic that the show was heading in this direction, or that the emote was supposed to represent that symbol lol. Honestly to me the “easy” fix would to make a new emote with the season 1 intro dance but I understand that would take some time to animate. - @DepressingFries
• I'm confused as to how this wasn't communicated between Epic and WB. It looks like Fortnite wasn't told that by WB, who most likely knew how the story of Peacemaker S2 would go. Don't get me wrong, I like the show and that we got Peacemaker in game, but it looks like the lack of communication will make the emote be removed from the game. - @Domichu1998
• Fuck nooooo it's my favorite emote I'm so disappointed 😞 - @Designer-Tiger391
• Fortnite treating collabs like limited time loot drops now next up: refund your nostalgia. - @whysoserious_zz

As noted in the top comment above, quite a few fans voiced the desire to have the currently snipped emote replaced by something from Season 1's intro dance, even though it's not confirmed that anything will be introduced as a replacement.

More than a few commenters were quick to poke fun at the less offensive elements involved, such as Cena's hip-swaying moves no longer being on display.

• If my hips can't be peaceful, they're going to be rotating like a cement mixer. I apologize in advance if you come across my not peaceful hips in game. - @ad991493
• Only Peacemaker could get banned from Fortnite for dancing too hard 😭 - @RealUkin
• John Cena: You can’t see me
  Fortnite: You can’t dance either 👀😂 - @darpanmurly

On another more serious note, a number of comments also drew attention to the fact that Fortnite still has purchasable collab content for the controversy-touting rapper Kanye West, as well as singer-songwriter David Anthony Burke, better known by the stage name "d4vd," who has been making headlines after the body of a missing 15-year-old girl was found in the trunk of an impounded Tesla that was registered under his name.

Peacemaker drops new Season 2 episodes every Thursday night on HBO Max.

WrestlePalooza is the first PLE under the ESPN banner, and unfortunately, all the subscription issues have not been figured out yet. ESPN still hasn’t made a deal with Comcast, YouTube TV and other major cable companies to provide their customers, who already pay for ESPN, access to the new streaming service. That mess has led to a lot of understandable complaining on social media.

It’s also probably led to cable subscribers buying a lot of VPNs (which are heavily discounted right now) in order to watch the international Netflix feed or getting short-term subscriptions to ESPN’s new app (which is also running promo deals) in order to watch directly. What this will mean for WrestlePalooza’s viewership numbers is unclear, but regardless, those who do watch are going to be getting a really good card, at least on paper.

I say on paper because the build hasn’t necessarily been the best for all these matches. Brock Lesnar and John Cena’s feud hasn’t been the most well-developed of either of their careers, and Cody Rhodes hasn’t been as present as usual for his build with Drew McIntyre, given his current filming schedule. Fortunately, the crowd will still be hot for both of those matches, and they’ll certainly be hot for Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch vs CM Punk and AJ Styles, which has been given time for several promos and pre-match shenanigans.

Before I get into what I think is going to happen though, let’s review my historical performance. I’ve told ya’ll who I think is going to win in every PLE match since WrestleMania 38, and while I’m not exactly The Undertaker at WrestleMania or even Earthquake at WrestleMania, I’m still doing pretty well for myself. Here's my overall record, as well as breakouts for the bigger PLEs this year.

CM Punk And AJ Lee Vs Seth Rollins And Becky Lynch

This is not going to be the main event at WrestlePalooza, but if you’ve watched WWE’s weekly shows recently, it wouldn't be unreasonable to think it would be. Lee’s long-awaited un-retirement to partner with her husband CM Punk got one of the loudest pops we’ll hear this year, and the crowd has been very invested in all the promos and skirmishes we’ve gotten. There’s some real buzz here, and there’s a good chance it’ll be the match of the night, given fan investment and the in-ring skills of everyone involved.

One story beat we’ve consistently been getting has been both AJ and Becky getting physical with the men under the assumption that they won’t hit back. It’s been so pronounced that it’s entirely possible we’re actually going to see one of the men snap and deliver their finisher to the opposing lady. WWE very rarely does inter-gender matches, but we do occasional see physicality. Seth Rollins stomping AJ Lee, as an example, would produce nuclear heat with the crowd and put even more juice into the feud.

I’m not 100% confident that’s going to happen, but I am very confident that Punk and AJ are going to win here. She’s been going for a decade, and I would have to imagine WWE would want to establish her as an immediate threat to Becky’s Intercontinental Championship. The best way to do that would be with a win, and since Becky got in a cheap Manhandle Slam on her the other night, it feels like she’s going to pay her back here.

Predicted Winner: AJ Lee And CM Punk

The Usos Vs Bron Breakker And Bronson Reed

This is a tough match to predict, and you could make really reasonable cases for both sides. Even as I’m writing this, I’m not entirely sure who I’m going to pick. So, let’s just present the reason why each should win and then we can decide which is more compelling.

The Usos should win because they’re one of the best and most acclaimed tag teams in the history of the business, and when they get back together to fight people, it should mean something. Assumedly, the two of them are going to make a real run to the tag titles at some point again in the future, and we should all be invested in protecting their aura for when that happens. If Jimmy and Jey eat pins on their own, that’s fine, but as a tag team, I want to see them win in key spots.

But do we really want The Vision losing everything at WrestlePalooza? Paul Heyman is in the hospital and written off TV. I think Becky and Seth are going to lose to CM Punk and AJ Lee. Does it really make sense for the Brons to take an L here? I don’t think so, especially after Bronson Reed took an L to Roman Reigns at the last PLE. If we’re going to build these two into dominant forces on their own, that can inspire fear outside of Seth Rollins, then they need to actually win matches.

We’ve been getting a lot of teases from The Usos lately that they might not be on the same page. They got into an argument backstage this week on Raw, and Jimmy seems to be moving in a more face direction, while Jey seems to be moving more in a heel direction. Given there are compelling cases for why both teams should win, I’m going to use these teases to say The Usos are probably going to lose because of miscommunication or dissension within their partnership.

Predicted Winner: The Brons

Iyo Sky Vs Stephanie Vaquer For The Vacant Women’s World Championship

Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the other writers are clearly very high on Stephanie Vaquer. This is a huge position to put her in, given she’s only been on the main roster for a few months. Typically, that’s way too soon to even talk about fighting for world championships, let alone winning world championships, but you can’t argue with the crowd reactions she’s getting, nor can you argue with her in-ring skill. Her English is also getting better at a rapid rate, and I think it’s within the realm of possibilities that she wins here.

Obviously, Iyo is more than capable of being a world champion. She’s been there before and is arguably the third or fourth most popular woman on the roster behind Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair (and maybe Liv Morgan). It would make a lot of sense for WWE to put the belt back on her, and that’s probably the most likely outcome. It’s hard for me to imagine the two world champions on the women’s side being Vaquer and Tiffany Stratton, given their collective lack of main roster experience.

This story WWE is telling with Asuka, however, is giving me pause. We’re getting weekly signs of friction between Iyo Sky, Asuka and Kairi Sane, and it seems like we’re walking toward some kind of feud involving the longtime friends. I suspect we’ll probably even get a tag team match between Iyo and Rhea and Asuka and Kairi at some point in the near future. Does that storyline need the belt? I’m not so sure.

I’m picking Iyo because she’s Iyo freakin’ Sky and Stephanie Vaquer hasn’t even won a middle card title before, but I don’t feel super confident.

Predicted Winner: Iyo Sky

John Cena Vs Brock Lesnar

I’m done picking against John Cena. Sure, Brock Lesnar has been gone for an extended period of time, and you’d like to remind people of why he’s so terrifying with a dominant win, but I think there’s a real chance Cena doesn’t lose again for his entire retirement tour. In fact, I'm predicting it here. After his run as a heel, which had some great moments but ultimately didn’t work out, I think fans really just want to celebrate with him. He did a lot of winning throughout his career, and I think his supporters would like to see him go out the same way.

We also don’t know if there are long-term plans for Lesnar. Did he return simply to put in a few appearances and do some work with Cena, who he shares a lot of history with? Maybe. Did he return because he’s going to be a WWE superstar for the next several years and will be trying to win championships? Maybe. It’s really unclear what’s actually going on. I could easily believe either of those possibilities.

Cena and Lesnar are the same age. I can’t imagine Brock has that many runs left in him, but since this is Cena’s announced last year, I think he’s going to get a big win here. Expect this match to be a car crash with a ton of finishers and surprise kickouts in a short timeframe or for us to get some kind of outside interference to give these two some breathing room to beyond fifteen minutes.

Predicted Winner: John Cena

Cody Rhodes (Champion) Vs Drew McIntyre For The WWE Championship

Drew McIntyre is arguably my favorite superstar on WWE’s entire roster. I think he’s been spectacular over the past few years, and to me, his feud with CM Punk is the best storyline WWE has given us since the OG Bloodline disbanded. He’s had some big moments and won some big championships semi-recently, but a signature win over Cody Rhodes during the first PLE of ESPN’s contract would go a long way toward showing the audience he should be seen as one of the biggest stars in the company.

I would love to see it, but it’s really hard to bet against Cody Rhodes. Apart from high profile losses to the likes of Roman Reigns and John Cena, he’s basically done nothing but win. Do we think WWE is really going to want him to lose during the first event on ESPN? I don’t think so, nor do I think whenever he does lose it’ll come on the back of a feud with this little of a build. Yes, we’ve gotten some back and forths and a vicious attack from McIntyre on Rhodes, but we haven’t gotten some epic promo battle every week.

I want to see McIntyre win The WWE Championship again. I want him to be seen on that Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, CM Punk and Seth Rollins level, but I don’t think this is the moment he gets there. We’ll need to wait a little longer.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

John Cena’s Peacemaker Season 2 is currently airing on the 2025 TV schedule –also available to stream with an HBO Max subscription–and he’s so perfectly cast in the role it's hard to imagine anyone else under the helmet. But, you may have heard, James Gunn recently revealed he originally wrote the role for another actor, his Guardians of the Galaxy collaborator Dave Bautista. Now, The Killer’s Game star explains why he’s not mad about not landing the role, despite a ‘bit of envy.’

The Last Showgirl co-star talked to ComicBook.com about his new project, but took the time to give Cena his flowers and explained why walking away worked out. In his words:

The wrestler-turned-action-star doubled down on the honesty and pangs of envy, but still couldn't see a world where he could do a better job. Bautista continued:

Gunn shared that he wrote Peacemaker with Dave Bautista in mind for The Suicide Squad in a recent episode of The Howard Stern Show. If schedules and money had lined up, the Parachute performer might’ve worn the chrome helmet through two seasons of Peacemaker, Superman, and even Man of Tomorrow. Instead, a clash with Army of the Dead, which offered him a starring role and more money, kept him out. But Cena stepped in, and the rest, as they say, is DCU history.

It’s a remarkably healthy take from a guy who’s made a point of chasing character-first roles. Bautista’s post-Drax era has been about stretching, not just flexing, as he’s taken on everything from Blade Runner 2049, Dune, and Knock at the Cabin. Owning the idea that someone else was simply “more right” for a role is the kind of grown-up career math you don’t always hear in upcoming superhero movie land.

And, honestly, I agree with the Afterburn actor. Cena’s Peacemaker balances idiotic bravado with a weirdly sincere, wounded core. That tightrope act is why the show hits. It has satire and heart. And as brilliant as the Knock at the Cabin lead has been in specific roles, like Drax, recognizing that he couldn’t have brought what Cena has to the part doesn’t diminish him as an actor in any way. Still, it highlights how much casting influences the final product. Frankly, had Bautista been Peacemaker, I doubt we would have even had a spin-off series, and the character would have remained dead as he seemed to be at the end of The Suicide Squad.

Does this close the door on The Army of the Dead actor in the DCU? Not necessarily. He’s floated Bane as a dream role before, though he’s joked the clock may be working against him. Either way, he’s doing just fine, stacking interesting parts and keeping his standards high. But hey, if something shows up in the new DC movie landscape that the star would be right for, I think he seems fairly game to join Gunn’s world.

Peacemaker Season 2 premiered on August 21, 2025, with new episodes releasing weekly on Thursdays. Next up for Dave Bautista is a romantic comedy, The Romantic. Paramount Pictures recently acquired the film and does not yet have an official release date, but I’m excited to see the former WWE star stretch his range.

I’ve been loving Season 2 of Peacemaker on the 2025 TV schedule, and in Episode 3, showrunner and writer James Gunn snuck in an easter egg that felt like it was aimed directly at me. You see, Gunn and I have something in common: we both grew up in St. Louis. We also both love music and, like Gunn, who’s only about a decade older than me, I spent a ton of time in record stores when I was a teenager. One of those stores in St. Louis was West End Wax. Gunn paid tribute to the long-closed store with a subtle nod in Peacemaker’s “best dimension ever.”

Peacemaker’s Happy Place

Much of Season 2 of Peacemaker has taken place in another universe, which the titular character, played by John Cena, discovered in his Quantum Unfolding Chamber. It’s a world where his father and brother are still alive, and together they are a team of beloved superheroes. In Episode 3, he reaches out to this universe’s Emilia Harcourt (Jennifer Holland), and together they go out to grab lunch.

They grab some hot dogs (with a lot of mustard) and sit down on a bench in a park to talk about how their relationship in the alternate dimension ended. Behind them is a record store with the name clearly visible: West End Wax. I almost jumped off my couch in excitement. West End Wax! I hadn’t thought about the store in years, but I spent a good chunk of my time (and my money) shopping for CDs there as a teenager.

West End Wax Was One Of My Favorite Stores, And Evidently, It Was One Of Gunn’s, Too

I still remember the day I walked into West End Wax in the early ‘90s and discovered Jane’s Addiction’s Nothing Shocking. I was intrigued, to say the least, by the album cover. That was in a time when an album cover was enough to take a risk and spend $12 on a CD. Luckily, when I got home and popped it on, I loved the album. I still love it today. It’s moments like buying a CD on spec that make Gen Xers like me nostalgic for the way things were (though, to be clear, I much prefer streaming these days, I’m no Luddite).

It’s easy to imagine that Gunn, whose music choices in his movies have become legendary, had moments like that in stores across St. Louis, like Euclid Records, Vintage Vinyl, and West End Wax. Those first two are still around, but the third closed a long time ago, so it makes perfect sense that it is the one Gunn would lament when imagining Peacemaker’s happy place. There’s a good chance I would have the same kind of store in my happy place.

So now, as Season 2 of Peacemaker continues, I’ll be watching with my HBO Max subscription, looking out for any other easter eggs from Gunn’s (and my) youth in Peacemaker’s perfect dimension.

James Gunn, like many directors, likes to work with his friends. We’ve seen actors like Nathan Fillion and Michael Rooker repeatedly show up in the writer and director’s work. Many of the actors who have worked with Gunn in the past have expressed interest in working with him again.

It turns out one Guardians of the Galaxy star could have done just that. James Gunn has revealed he had a specific actor in mind when he created Peacemaker for The Suicide Squad, and it wasn't John Cena, but another WWE megastar.

Dave Bautista Was Almost Peacemaker

Appearing on The Howard Stern Show, James Gunn confirmed that he actually wrote the role of Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad for his former Drax, Dave Bautista. However, with Bautista being a fairly hot commodity, in large part because of the Guardians films, the actor simply had to take a better offer on the table. Gunn said:

Bautista himself spoke about his decision back in 2021. He revealed that he’d been offered a role in The Suicide Squad, though he never mentioned what the role was. He ultimately decided to take Zack Snyder’s Army of the Dead for Netflix over Gunn’s superhero movie. Bautista expressed an interest in that particular script and a desire to work with Snyder as the reasons for his choice, though the money probably didn’t hurt.

An Amy Schumer Comedy Led James Gunn To John Cena

And so, if one former professional wrestler turns down your action movie, I suppose it makes some sense to consider others. James Gunn mentions being a fan of Amy Schumer’s comedy Trainwreck, in which John Cena played a scene-stealing role. That was enough to get the two together, and the rest is history. Gunn continued:

The Peacemaker role has certainly turned out to be a success for Cena, leading to not just the movie role but two seasons of television (Season 2 is airing right now on the 2025 TV schedule for those with an HBO Max subscription). And Gunn and Cena clearly work well together, with Gunn calling Cena the best improv actor he's ever worked with.

It will apparently also lead to more, as Gunn says he and Cena will be working together again in the future. Nobody needs to worry too much about Dave Bautista, though; he seems to be getting the roles that he wants, including the rom-com that had long eluded him.

Spoilers below for the latest episode of Peacemaker, so be warned if you haven’t yet watched via HBO Max subscription.

Peacemaker’s Earth-2 reveal has completely shaken up the non-Justice Gang member’s existence, giving John Cena’s Chris a second chance to know and bond with his brother Keith, or at least an alternate version of him. But there’s a flip side to that positivity, as Chris also came face to face with Alt-Rick Flag Jr., as portrayed by The Suicide Squad vet Joel Kinnaman.

The somewhat uncomfortable reunion threw Peacemaker for a giant loop, considering their prior meeting that included Flag’s “What a joke” assertion, followed by Peacemaker killing him off. Making matters worse is that this version of Kinnaman’s character is dating Jennifer Holland other character Alt-Harcourt, whom Chris is attempting to woo. Cena addressed working with Kinnaman again in the HBO Max series (via James Gunn), calling his character "an alive, stumbly, mealy-mouthed version of Rick Flag Jr" and saying:

Some of the episode's scenes do indeed feel slightly off, largely because we're seeing a version of Rick Flag Jr. who doesn't automatically despise Peacemaker (at least not in a visibly scowling manner), and one who understandably isn't haunted by the Earth-1 memories of his death at Chris' hands.

Just seeing Rick and Harcourt smiling together at all was a WTF jolt to the senses, all while Cena's character was quite clearly out of his element. So it definitely helped whenever the Sons of Liberty showed up to start destroying things, as it allowed Peacemaker to shake off some of his discomfort. I mean, if the Peace-Cycle can't do it, what can?

John Cena then shared some genuine, no-BS appreciation for his returning co-star, saying:

Peacemaker does not shy away from reminding viewers just how Earth-1's Rick Flag Jr. died, and how much it's rattled Chris even without parallel universes involved. And now to see that same guy (so to speak) being the one standing in the way of Harcourt and Peacemaker's love story (also so to speak) has to be a mindfuck for the latter. Which, I'll admit, is fun to watch, since Cena doesn't always get to play vulnerable in this role.

Joel Kinnaman's Favorite Episode 203 Deaths

Appearing on HBO Max's official Peacemaker podcast, Kinnaman was asked by show creator and pod host James Gunn (who noted how much the actor was giggling at the death sequences) which of the brutal fatalities was his favorite. Here's his answer:

Chris should 100% watch out if he gets stuck inside an office supply closet with Rick Jr. Can't be too careful with one's earholes.

How long will it take before Peacemaker and Rick Flag Jr. go head to head? Will Rick Flag Sr. ever learn about his alt-universe son's survival? Who will Harcourt eventually end up with? There's only one way to find out. Well, two ways, but I don't suggest supergluing onesself to James Gunn.

Instead, keep watching Peacemaker's new episodes dropping every Thursday on HBO Max.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet caught up with Peacemaker’s Season 2 episodes via HBO Max subscription, so be warned!

The deeper we go into Peacemaker’s second season, the more the story veers in unpredictable directions, while also delivering more than a few theory-sparking scenes. (Such as questioning the alternate universe’s possible Earth-X connections and wondering what’s up with that alien, among others.) The third episode expanded on prior reveals that the now-deceased Alt-Christopher Smith was romantically involved previously with Alt-Harcourt, and that Alt-Rick Flagg Jr. is alive and well. It was kind of a lot, and I’m having a blast watching.

Beyond all the general enjoyment, though, Episode 3 fully paid off on an easter egg-esque spoiler from the opening credits dance number that some fans may not have even realized was relaying new information.

Peacemaker's Season 2 Opening Smoothly Reveals Alt-Harcourt's Existence

The first, second and third time I watched the opening sequence, when the Blue Dragon and Captain Triumph dancers emerged with Jennifer Holland, my attention was fully on those suped-up costumes' details. What I didn't pay attention to, however, was that this trio arrived right after Holland and Cena got close and were split apart across the opposite sides of the screen. With Holland obviously wearing different clothes the first time around.

That's a whole-ass sub-plot being laid out quite literally: just when it seems like Peacemaker and Harcourt might have another moment resembling something romantic, she shuts that down, and then Chris makes the nutty choice to put his efforts into connecting with Earth-2's Harcourt.

I'm legitimately shocked by James Gunn & Co. laying out that kind of reveal so clearly in the opening, Dont' get me wrong, I do realize that having Robert Patrick's Auggie revealing himself lifting the Blue Dragon mask was a very direct implication that a different reality was involved, and that the first two episodes laid that part of the story out quite clearly.

Still, I remained blind to the what the dance number was telling us by having different Harcourts involved until after watching Episode 3. Perhaps had Alt-Harcourt's shirt been seen in the final pile-up, that might have tipped me off, but that might be too optimistic.

By all means, I might be alone in that respect, and everyone else might have been more on the ball than me. And to that I say, "Well why didn't you tell me a couple of weeks ago?"

Episode 3 Also Introduced Michael Rooker's Character First Seen In The Dance Number

While not quite as enigmatic as slyly showing off two different versions of the same character, Peacemaker's second opening credits sequence also showcased a previously mysterious character portrayed by go-to James Gunn actor Michael Rooker, who first teamed up with the filmmaker for his 2009 directorial debut Slither. "Another Rick Up My Sleeve" finally offered up an answer in the form of Red St. Wild, eagle-hunting extraordinaire.

Rooker's character is brought into the mix by A.R.G.U.S. to try and kill Eagly, and "try" is the optimal word, since I don't foresee any mere human being able to take down Peacemaker's true best friend. (Sorry, Vigilante.) More on that in the weeks to come, assumedly.

Peacemaker Season 2 will continue dropping new episodes on HBO Max on Thursdays, so maybe we'll discover even more easter eggs that have been hidden in plain sight.

Spoilers below for anyone who hasn’t yet caught up with Peacemaker’s latest Season 2 episode via HBO Max subscription, so be warned!

Much of the conversation surrounding Peacemaker’s highly celebrated Season 2 return was understandably invested in the “Previously On…” segment retconning the Justice League right out of DCU existence and replacing them with Justice Gang’s Green Lantern and Hawkgirl. It was a fun way to show off James Gunn’s new vision for this universe, or these universes, as it were. Episode 2 continued exploring the ramifications of alt-dimension murder, with Peacemaker employing Vigilante to help chop up and dispose of Chris 2.0’s body.

As the two characters were wrapping up their cover-up scheme within the multiverse hub room, Peacemaker got another quick visit from the as-yet-unexplained alien creature, referred to in the credits as "Kyphotic Alien. The moment resulted in one of the episode’s funniest lines, which I have to believe is also lightly foreshadowing something major happening with the red-eyed non-humanoid. (Those are eyes, right?)

Peacemaker's A+ Description For His Alien Neighbor

Just after the alien opens his universe's door, before it can even fully take in what Vigilante and Peacemaker are doing, the latter immediately screams "Fuck off!" causing it to retreat back into its world, odd-looking pet in hand. When Vigilante asks for clarification about what it was, Cena angrily delivers this gem:

On the surface, it's a hilarious moment that plays up both how stressed out the vigilante hero is, as well as how much he seems to actually care about the behavioral politeness of creatures from completely different existences. Calling an alien a motherfucker plays right into Gunn's sense of humor, and it'd be easy to brush that moment off as simple brevity because of it. However...

I Think That Moment (And The Opening Dance Number) Are Hinting At Something Major Happening With The Alien

Put most simply, I think we're dealing with a case of Chekov's unfamiliar alien here, in the sense that revealing such an oddball figure so early on in the season almost necessarily means that the character will have a noteworthy impact on the narrative at some point down the line. The fact that he shows up two episodes in a row under the same pretenses only helps solidify my belief.

Whether that eventual reveal will have anything to do with the alien's lack of interesting in greetings, I cannot say.

Another big hint of the alien's future storyline is that it's featured as one of the dancing characters in the opening credits. It's not as if there are tons of past examples to use as precedents, but it stands to reason that Peacemaker wouldn't have made this costumed actor go through the trouble if the character wasn't a key factor in some way. Sure, there are some randos that appear for the pile-up at the end, but Mr. Kyphotic (my smooth new nickname for it) shows up earlier than that.

Will The Alien Cause Trouble For Peacemaker, Or Will He Be An Ally?

Considering the timing of the alien's arrival — yeah, I already gave up on Mr. Kyphotic — it may have seen enough incriminating evidence to make life hell for both of the body-burning heroes, although I'm going to shut down this line of thinking right away, since I can't imagine how that would even work. If that creature walks through the door to either of the Earthly dimensions, it would very likely get killed and autopsied before any such tattle-telling on Peacemaker could occur. I guess it could rally a posse from its own universe to bring the title character to justice, but let's still assume not.

I'd rather believe that the extraterrestrial will bring something more positive to the story. Maybe it's telepathic and has been teling Peacemaker hello every time, not grasping that it wasn't being understood. Maybe it'll stop Peacemaker from returning to the alternate dimension at a pivotal moment. Maybe its pet will bond with Eagly in some way.

However things go, I don't necessarily need the alien to do anything on an epic level for the story, but I can't imagine James Gunn & Co. just threw this fun-looking entity in the mix just for a pair of oddball gags and a presence in the opening.

First, though, allow me to introduce the idea that this is the DCU's first look at Batman! But it's just the one from that particular universe, and not our version. I'm fine with being wrong about that one, though.

Peacemaker Season 2 streams new episodes on HBO Max every Thursday.

Last year’s Backlash following WrestleMania took place in Lyon, France, and given how hot the crowd was, it’s no surprise to see WWE return for another premium live event. This time, it’s taking place in Paris, and I’m expecting the French fans to deliver again, even if the matches on the card don’t exactly forecast to be Bret Hart and British Bulldog at SummerSlam ‘92.

It’s not a question of star power. Clash In Paris has a ton of big names with matches, from CM Punk to John Cena to Roman Reigns to Becky Lynch to Seth Rollins to Logan Paul to Nikki Bella. The problem is that most of those big names either aren’t facing each other or with a few exceptions, seem to be in a match with a seemingly obvious outcome. Because of that, some fans are comparing it to a Raw or SmackDown card.

I think that’s harsh. This card might not rival WrestleMania, but it’s a lot better than what we see on a weekly basis. It also has the potential to deliver a few huge upsets that casual fans won’t see coming. Throw in a hot crowd and a Brock Lesnar return, and I think this could be one of those PLEs that we remember fondly for years to come.

Before I get into what I think is going to happen, let’s reflect real quick on my predictions record. As a reminder, I’ve been doing this for every premium live event since WrestleMania 38, and while no one would accuse me of being Super Cena, I’ve still got the record of a lower main eventer or the type of guy who’d win a midcard title. Think of me like a prime MVP.

Sheamus Vs Rusev In A Good ‘Ol Fashioned Donnybrook Match

WWE needs to normalize putting non-title matches featuring mid-carders in hot programs onto premium live events. That might sound obvious, but that’s not actually how WWE operates anymore. If you look at most PPV cards, they’re almost exclusively filled with title matches and random bouts that include at least one main eventer (like Roman Reigns and Bronson Reed). Since Triple H took over, a ton of fun programs like Chad Gable vs Otis and Braun Strowman Vs Jacob Fatu never got a PLE match, at least if you don't count Saturday Night’s Main Event.

I love seeing Sheamus and Rusev in this spot. They deserve it, and they’re going to be really hungry to put on a great bout, given neither of them regularly appears on PLEs at this point in their careers. Expect a brutal, hard-hitting mess with an outcome that likely sees these two continue to work together for at least another month or so.

I’m going to pick Rusev given he just returned to WWE, but Sheamus hasn’t won on a PLE since Extreme Rules in 2022. He could really benefit from a chance to remind people that he’s a former world champion and remains extremely over with fans.

Predicted Winner: Rusev

John Cena Vs Logan Paul

I think most fans would like to see John Cena win here, given he’s finally back to being a babyface and doesn’t have that many appearances left before his retirement, but I just can’t see it. WWE has already laid out what’s next for the Peacemaker star. He’s going to face Brock Lesnar, probably during the first PLE WWE is doing with ESPN next month. The Beast showing up here and attacking Cena again feels like the logical way to set that up.

Now, there’s certainly a chance Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the writing staff will have Cena win the match and then get attacked afterwards, but he got attacked after the match by Lesnar at the end of SummerSlam. It feels like they’re going to do something different here, and if you’re going to have the Never Seen Seventeen end up on his back after the match, to me, you might as well give Logan Paul the win and let him get some shine off that.

Besides, I think we should all acknowledge that Paul is really good at this. I’m not saying he’s a prime Shawn Michaels, but he’s already doing better work than eighty percent of the roster. His promos are getting more natural and continue to improve (as evidenced by him looking comfortable with John Cena), and he’s putting in more frequent appearances than some of the biggest names on the roster. It would be good for him to win here.

Predicted Winner: Logan Paul

Becky Lynch (Champion) Vs Nikki Bella For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

I’ve heard some people complaining about Becky Lynch’s current heel character. Certainly Kelly Osbourne doesn’t seem to be a fan, but personally, I think she’s doing the best work of her entire career. Yeah, she might not be as buzzy as she was during her days as The Man, but as a personal preference, I like this better.

That promo she gave in Dublin where she got the crowd hyped up as the returning daughter and then turned on them was fantastic. It was every bit as good as something you’d see from CM Punk, Paul Heyman or The Miz, and while I really loved her program with Lyra Valkyria and Bayley, I’m glad to see her working with different superstars on the roster and continuing to make the Intercontinental Championship feel relevant.

I suspect she’s going to hold the belt for a long time, which means Nikki Bella is going to lose here. That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily bad news for her though. To me, this match is a chance for Bella to prove she should be taken seriously. Obviously she’s a WWE Hall of Famer and someone the crowd likes to see, but the jury is out as to whether her current run is going to be a fun bit of nostalgia or an exciting chapter filled with new character work and new in-ring moves that build on her legacy. A great match here would go a long way to making the latter a reality.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Roman Reigns Vs Bronson Reed

I love Roman Reigns. With all due respect to Cody Rhodes and Triple H, I think he’s the single person most responsible for WWE’s resurgence in popularity the last several years. Keeping the belt around his waist for years was the right decision to build his aura. Even now, I don’t really want to see him taking losses, except in rare circumstances, but to me, this is one of those circumstances.

I know what you’re thinking. Really, he should lose to Bronson Reed? Yes. Wrestling factions tend to take on one of two forms. Either they’re a vehicle for one person to establish dominance, in this case Seth Rollins, or they’re a way for a bunch of characters to grow at the same time, each having their own paths and storylines. Long-term, Reed can be one of Rollins’ henchmen who gets beaten up by whoever he’s feuding with on a weekly basis or he and Bron Breakker can build their own compelling characters outside Rollins. To do that, they need signature victories.

Beating Roman Reigns would be the biggest win of Bronson Reed’s career. It would extend his current Tribal Thief gimmick, and it would immediately establish him as a threat to go after a singles championship, which he’s yet to win in WWE. He needs this in a way that Roman does not, especially since he’s reportedly about to leave and go film Street Fighter for awhile.

I don’t like betting against Reigns because he’s won way way way more often than he’s lost. In fact, I’m still not entirely sure WWE will be willing to let him eat a pin here, but in a perfect world, Reed should win this match.

Predicted Winner: Bronson Reed

Seth Rollins (Champion) Vs LA Knight Vs CM Punk Vs Jey Uso For The World Heavyweight Championship

Barring an injury, a real injury this time, Seth Rollins is winning this match. WWE has way too much invested in him right now to lose the title this quickly. Typically, predicting the outcome of four way matches is extremely difficult, but it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever for anyone but Seth to win here.

If CM Punk is going to win the belt back, it should be in a straight up singles match with Rollins. As much as I cling to the belief that LA Knight will be a world champion someday, nothing about his booking in recent months suggests he’s a real candidate to win this match, and while Jey Uso is still the type of over most wrestlers dream about, he’s not as over as he once was, nor did his recent title reign go particularly well.

I’m so confident about the outcome of this match that I’m not even sure if it’s going to main event the show, which is wild given it’s the only world championship on the card. More often than not, WWE ends the night with the match fans want to see the most, and this, unfortunately, is not that match. Still, I think it could be a really compelling twenty minutes if done correctly, and it could help build the storyline for Survivor Series War Games, which will probably involve a lot of these people.

Predicted Winner: Seth Freakin’ Rollins

John Cena is back in Peacemaker Season 2, and I'm starting to understand how he maintains his superhero shape after hearing his thoughts on the traditional American breakfast. As it turns out, one doesn't prepare for upcoming WWE events and other movies by going through a fast food drive-thru, and the star shared exactly what he eats for breakfast on a given day.

Cena was alongside Idris Elba in a Jolly video comparing American and UK breakfast meals, and I think based on Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's cheat meal posts, he might've been a better ambassador for the standard breakfast in the U.S.A. As one might guess, Cena has a healthy breakfast routine, which he laid out below:

I've used my Peacock subscription to watch that iconic clip from Total Bellas of John Cena detailing his house rule, so I knew going in he was a particular type of guy. It's no surprise to me that he goes for a health-conscious breakfast, as he definitely strikes me as a "food is fuel" type of guy who didn't get rock-hard abs by just having good genetics.

That said, I think even people who eat healthy for breakfast will find Cena's views on pancakes a bit bizarre. Listen to how he eats the common breakfast item, and the strange way he compares it to a standard cup of coffee below:

I can't recall a time in my life where I ever thought a pancake was moist or delicious enough that it didn't need a bit of butter (which he doesn't use) or a helping of syrup. I can understand limiting the amount of syrup on the pancake, but I can't get on board with the idea that syrup is not a necessity.

John Cena did admit that he's someone who tracks calories, and while he made an exception for a pistachio donut offered to him during the interview, it tracks he would consider things like syrup or creamer for bad coffee as unnecessary calories. Perhaps, similar to his start in acting, he doesn't appreciate the opportunity provided by a high-calorie and sugary breakfast, and he'll eventually reach a stage in life where he's more on board with that type of setup.

The WWE icon-turned-actor is as prolific as ever as 2025 winds down. He's rounding out what he's claimed will be his final year of professional wrestling, and will likely commit more time than ever to his acting career and more opportunities that come along in that space. With a potential showdown with Brock Lesnar on the horizon in WWE, it's good he's sticking with a healthy breakfast for now.

Catch new episodes of Peacemaker Season 2 on Thursdays on HBO Max. There are already some big developments that have fans talking, so be sure to catch up and prepare for new episodes.

If you spend any time on the set of a major studio movie, you recognize that one key ingredient in the whole filmmaking process is patience. There is a lot of repetition, with multiple takes are respectively executed from different angles, and there is a whole lot of time in between setups as different departments perform a variety of different tasks to ensure that everything on camera looks perfect. It's not what you might expect from an outside perspective, and for John Cena first entering the business after becoming a star in the big and flashy world of WWE, it required a huge adjustment that made him question his future as an actor.

Cena is now well-known as a multi-faceted and talented performer (recently dubbed the GOAT of wrestlers-turned-actors by his The Suicide Squad/Heads Of State co-star Idris Elba), but in a new career retrospective interview from Vanity Fair, he explains that his first experience in movies – namely making 2006's The Marine – was a deeply unsatisfying time. During that point in his career, he wasn't familiar with the "hurry up and wait" nature of Hollywood, and it led to frustration:

In the video, John Cena's reflection comes from discussion of his time making F9, in which he plays the brother of Vin Diesel's Dom Torretto. Watching a clip from the blockbuster that sees his character get tackled by his co-star while he is flying on a zipline, he notes the precision that went into the construction of the action. It was something he understood and could appreciate as a veteran of the silver screen, but it evidently drove him a bit nuts early in his career.

The Peacemaker star doesn't stop there, though. He makes a direct link between being patient and expressing gratitude, and he feels that he didn't have enough of either in the mid-aughts. Rather than making films because he wanted to make films, he was just trying to boost his personal image as a wrestler, and he understands now that he wasn't the best version of himself at the time. He continues,

This story obviously has a happy ending. Around 2015, he started to turn some heads with his skills, with a scene-stealing supporting turn in Judd Apatow's Trainwreck being a big standout, and that was followed a few years later as he demonstrated range both with comedy (like 2018's Blockers) and action-centric blockbusters (like 2018's Bumblebee). His career has only gotten better and more exciting – his greatest work to date being in his collaboration with James Gunn playing Christopher Smith a.k.a. Peacemaker.

Speaking of which, the brand new Season 2 of Peacemaker has now launched, with the premiere debuting for HBO Max subscribers last week. The story promises a whole lot of insanity to come, and new episodes drop on the streaming service on Thursdays.

While Peacemaker Season 2 recently hit the 2025 TV schedule, it was a long time coming. The first season of the DC series was available with an HBO Max subscription all the way back in 2022. It took, as John Cena himself recently put it, “1000 days” to get new episodes to fans. Part of this had to do with the changing of the guard over at DC, and the former WWE superstar just shared what Gunn had told him when all of this went down.

Per Cena, Gunn said “being patient” was going to be the key after the landmark decision was made to put the popular director at the head of the DCU. That two-word phrase really stuck with Cena, because it came into play as time passed after the critically acclaimed first season hit the schedule. When asked by Axel Talks Film what he and Gunn discussed, Cena got candid about how he does "trust" Gunn.

It came along with a ton of changes at Warner Bros. and DC including signing on David Corenswet as Superman (while he was filming Twisters) and Millie Alcock as Supergirl. At this point, we know a certain scene from Peacemaker Season 1 was retrofitted to drop the likes of Henry Cavill and Jason Momoa. (Though Gunn also told TV Insider it “would cost too much money” to retrofit the whole show. )

Still, Cena’s Peacemaker is largely the Peacemaker we remember, and critics and fans alike are still largely enthusiastic over the series. In fact, its critical RT score is at a whopping 99% and fans at a still solid 81%. So, the wait seems as if it was worth it.

For years, new TV seasons came like clockwork thanks to network TV operating on a September-May schedule for the most part. But streaming has really changed those expectations. Big renewals (and new TV cancellations) come more haphazardly. Amidst this, HBO and Warner Bros. have really kind of been a big proponent of random timelines for new seasons.

Peacemaker Season 2 took 1,000 days. It’s been about the same amount of time since Euphoria Season 2 hit the schedule, though the Zendaya-led series finally went back into production and Season 3 is coming down the pipeline. House of the Dragon Season 2 hit the schedule in 2024, but with production expected into the fall of 2025, we probably won’t be getting Season 3 until next year at the earliest.

The gaps are becoming wider and longer, and sometimes this can be a problem for shows, as people do drop them or forget to go back. But Cena is committed to the character, and he’s been pretty popular as a whole. I’m glad to see the show got another season and another story to tell, and I hope the series will continue.

Gunn has been reasonably enthusiastic the show will “probably” return for Season 3, but it could be awhile before HBO and Warner Bros. officially commits to this, for all of the above reasons. We’ll keep you posted.

I recently rewatched 2021’s The Suicide Squad with my HBO Max subscription, and it reminded me of why I like the movie and why I love director James Gunn’s approach to superhero movies. It’s not just the needle drops and the humor; it’s that the movies are fun. The MCU, and especially the old DCEU, can just be too serious at times. Too dour. Let’s bring the fun back to comic book movies!

The Suicide Squad Is Silly In All The Best Ways

I was inspired to revisit The Suicide Squad because I recently watched Peacemaker Season 1 for the first time after John Cena’s cameo in Superman this summer. I sort of tuned out the DCEU towards the end of its run, because, let’s be honest, the movies weren’t very much fun. I understand the appeal that Zach Snyder’s movies have for some fans, but they didn’t do much for me. Now that we have a newly rebranded and rebooted DCU, I decided it would be important to catch up.

After I started with Peacemaker, I realized how little I remembered about The Suicide Squad, which was Cena’s first appearance as the dopey, but hilarious Peacemaker. It’s important to note that it sure seems like The Suicide Squad is canon for the new DCU, which officially kicked off its live-action first phase (dubbed “Chapter One: Gods and Monsters”) with Superman, also directed by Gunn, a couple of months ago.

The Suicide Squad has something that Gunn is great at doing in his movies: joy. It’s a wild ride, with a stellar cast, and predictably great music; it’s also campy and cartoony, in the best ways. I look at those old DCEU movies, like Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and Justice League, and they are such a bunch of downers. Again, I get the appeal of dark comic book adaptation, but for me, I want things that are light and fun.

Making Comic Movies Silly Shouldn’t Be A Negative

Superhero comic books, at their essence, are fun and silly. At least my favorites are. Somewhere along the way in the last 20 years or so of comic book adaptations, the film industry veered too far into the darker themes of more recent comics. This is true of both DC and Marvel-based movies. The Suicide Squad and Gunn’s three Guardians of the Galaxy films all embrace the goofy, silly aspects of comics, and I need more of that in the DCU going forward (I need more of that in the MCU too, which found some of that with The Fantastic Four: First Steps).

It doesn’t have to be all goofy. Gunn walks the line brilliantly between heartfelt and silly, especially in the third Guardians film, and to some extent in Superman, and I love how light and bright his movies are. The scene in The Suicide Squad where Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) shoots up the palace with flowers exploding is a great example of this. It feels like a comic, unlike a lot of the old DCEU to me.

I’m really looking forward to the upcoming DC movies and seeing what James Gunn and Peter Safran bring to all of them as the creative minds in charge of the franchise. Up next, the animated Creature Commandos, which I also haven’t seen.

Last week, we saw a surprising amount of animation across all the major streaming platforms. Animation isn’t quite done yet, as this week we have yet another animated series debuting on Netflix that you probably won’t want to miss. Luckily, if animated TV isn’t your thing, there’s plenty more stuff you won’t want to miss.

The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox - August 20 (Hulu)

The story of Amanda Knox, an American woman who was convicted, and then later acquitted, of the murder of her roommate, has been one of the most controversial true crime cases in recent memory. Viewers with an interest in the case and a Hulu subscription will want to look at The Twisted Tale of Amanda Knox, which dramatizes the events of the case and the subsequent trials.

Hostage - August 21 (Netflix)

American audiences aren’t likely to know Suranne Jones, outside of her iconic Doctor Who appearance as "The Doctor's Wife", but she may be about to make a serious name for herself stateside thanks to Netflix’s Hostage. In the series, Jones plays the British Prime Minister, who becomes the victim of blackmail after her husband is kidnapped.

Peacemaker Season 2 - August 21 (HBO Max)

The first season of Peacemaker was one of the highlights of the old DCEU, and now it’s one of the few pieces of that old franchise that will survive into the new DCU under James Gunn. The show’s combination of humor, language, and violence certainly worked last time, and there’s little reason to believe it won’t be just as successful this time around. Now we just need to see that opening title sequence.

Long Story Short - August 22 (Netflix)

For a long time, Bojack Horseman was the reason to have a Netflix subscription. Now we’re about to get a brand new animated series from the same creator, which looks to have just as many laughs, and potentially as many surprisingly emotional moments. Long Story Short follows one family over decades of their life.

Eenie Meenie - August 22 (Hulu)

As President of the “Samara Weaving should be a big movie star” club, I am, of course, looking forward to the upcoming sequel to Ready or Not. However, while I wait, Hulu has another new film that looks to showcase the actress wonderfully. In Eenie Meenie Weaving stars as a former teenage criminal who is pulled back into the life to help bail out her less-than-savory ex-boyfriend. With a solid supporting cast that includes Andy Garcia, Randall Park, and Steve Zahn, this one looks like fun.

Next week marks the final week of August. Summer is coming to a close, but streaming isn’t folding up shop as there’s still plenty to enjoy. Come back next week and we’ll help you figure out what you don’t want to miss.

It’s been quite a while since we caught up with Christopher Smith and the rest of the 11th Street Kids. Peacemaker Season 2 is finally set to premiere on the 2025 TV schedule, 3-and-a-half years since we saw John Cena’s anti-hero and his buddies take down Project Butterfly. Critics were given five of the eight Season 2 episodes ahead of the upcoming DC TV show’s August 21 premiere, so what do they think of James Gunn’s newest project?

Fans are undoubtedly curious to find out how Season 2 fits into the DCU timeline, and admittedly, James Gunn’s view gets a little confusing because Peacemaker Season 1 is not included in the canon. However, there’s no need to worry, according to Nate Richard of Collider, who says Peacemaker Season 2 quickly sets the record straight before recapturing what made us fall in love with the series in the first place. The critic rates it a 9 out of 10, writing:

Danielle Ryan of SlashFilm also gives the first five episodes a 9 out of 10, saying the brutal fight scenes, killer needle-drops and edgy jokes are still here, but Season 2 dives deeper and darker into the lives of the 11th Street Kids. Ryan says:

Bob Strauss of The Wrap echoes the above sentiment, saying that every character’s story is more poignant, but Peacemaker doesn’t lose any of the gags or gore. James Gunn even finds emotional resonance in the multiverse concept (because yes, we’re dipping into parallel universes now) in a way Marvel has so far failed to do. It’s John Cena’s performance, though, that sticks out most to Strauss, who writes:

Amon Warmann of Empire agrees, calling John Cena’s performance some of his best acting to date. He consistently is able to balance his character’s silliness with his vulnerability, making for laugh-out-loud moments but also plenty of poignant ones that will resonate with the audience. Warmann says:

Will Salmon of GamesRadar addresses fans’ wariness to enter a DC multiverse, writing that James Gunn is smart in using it to focus further on Christopher Smith. This season is darker and sadder than the first, but there’s still tons of silliness and stupidity — the critic shouts out Tim Meadows’ Langston Fleury as “the season’s most reliably amusing character.” Salmon gives the series so far 3.5 out of 5 stars:

This is really good news for fans who have waited so long to see John Cena return with the rest of the Peacemaker Season 2 cast, including Danielle Brooks as Adebayo; Freddie Stroma as Vigilante; Jennifer Holland as Harcourt; and Steve Agee as Economos. Season 1 is available to stream now with an HBO Max subscription, while Season 2 will release weekly episodes on the streaming site beginning at 9 p.m. ET Thursday, August 21.

If there’s one thing that every wrestling fan around the world knows at this moment, it’s that “the last time is now,” as John Cena is on his farewell tour. He will only be at 11 upcoming WWE events, wrapping his time as an in-ring competitor at the end of the 2025 TV schedule in December. Fans weren’t quite sure what to expect from his match against Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam, but after watching that fight, I’m not at all shocked that Cena has said his “body is screaming” for the end of his wrestling career.

What Did John Cena Say About Being In The Back Half Of His Farewell Tour?

Not only is John Cena riding high after his surprise cameo in Superman, and looking forward to Peacemaker Season 2 (which you’ll be able to watch with an HBO Max subscription), but he’s also still in the afterglow of what’s being called not just the best match of his farewell tour so far, but possibly the best match of his more recent wrestling career.

After his match against now-two-time Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes at WrestleMania 41 left fans with a lot of disappointment and outright anger, it was a true shock to see what went down between the competitors at SummerSlam. Cena really pulled out all the stops and delivered (as Sheamus would say) a true “banger” of a match, which lasted for nearly 40 minutes and marked his longest one since way back in 2009. When appearing on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon recently, the Blockers star was asked if any part of him wanted there to be more time on his wrestling clock, and he said:

Oh, man. Even though Cena did recently admit that he’d be willing to wrestle for free because it’s been such an important part of his life since childhood, he also copped to the fact that he “just physically can’t do it anymore.” This is likely one of the reasons that his previous farewell tour matches haven’t always been ones for the books, along with, of course, his surprising heel turn causing him to want to “ruin wrestling.”

Pretty much everything that wrestlers do in the ring, even for very short amounts of time, makes me realize how my body would be “screaming” if I tried such full-contact athleticism. So, much love to a fellow middle-aged person for being able to dig deep and deliver a lengthy and 100% amazing match. He continued:

Obviously, we don’t know exactly what Cena’s last 11 WWE appearances will hold for us, but we can be sure that the man will give us everything he has before leaving the ring for the final time.

John Cena has probably been in better movies than 2006's The Marine, but I don’t care. It will likely always be my favorite movie of his.

Which is interesting, right? Because among Dwayne Johnson, Dave Bautista, and John Cena, I actually hold Cena in pretty high regard when it comes to wrestlers-turned-actors. Take the recent movie, Heads of State, for instance, which we gave a really good review. I would say that it's an objectively “better” movie than The Marine.

However, “better” doesn't necessarily mean I'll like it more. For example, critics will say Citizen Kane is better than Big Trouble in Little China, which I've rewatched endlessly, but I'll watch BTILC over Kane any day of the week. (Though I LIKE the latter!) So, here's why I adore Cena's first film.

The Marine Is Gleefully Ridiculous, And Revels In It

Do you know what's ridiculous? Professional wrestling. So, it makes little wonder that WWE Studios Inc. (formerly WWE Films) would produce a film like The Marine. Prior, they focused on movies starring The Rock, such as Walking Tall, and The Rundown, which is one of Dwayne Johnson's best movies.

For 2006, the company experimented a little bit, and made two movies. One was the horror flick, See No Evil, starring Kane, and the other was the Cena-led The Marine, which is about a discharged Marine whose wife is kidnapped, and he has to rescue her.

That's it. There's nothing deep about it. In fact, it's no deeper than what you might find in a typical WWE storyline. Cena has a certain set of skills, and he uses them against bad guys. In the opening scene, he could wait for reinforcements at an Al-Qaeda hideout, but then, all of the hostages would be beheaded.

What does he do? He goes in, guns-a-blazing, (Arrrgghh!!!) and saves the day. Guess what? The whole movie is like this! It's all gleefully ridiculous, and I love it with my full heart and soul.

The Action In It Is Really Intense

Another reason why I prefer this to other Cena movies is because the action in this one is really intense, like the car chase scene where Cena uses a bullet proof vest to deflect gunfire. Or, what about the fight in the meth lab where he is literally doing wrestling moves against a guy who's way bigger than him?

I just love this about the film, as it prioritizes action over anything else. Forget logic, or the fact that putting a bulletproof vest in front of your face isn't going to save your life. If it's cool, it's in this movie, and this movie is very cool.

Plus, it's not like Cena hasn't been in other enthralling action flicks. Like, I love him as Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad. As somebody who has been a loyal Fast & Furious fan since the very beginning (though, I consider Tokyo Drift to be peak Fast & Furious), his inclusion in the series as Dom’s estranged brother elevated the 9th and 10th movies for me.

Even so, I still can’t get over the action here. I think it might be because the star is usually in ensemble pictures these days, whereas The Marine and 12 Rounds (which also rules), are almost entirely carried by Cena. But, out of those two films, I prefer the former because the action never lets up for a single second. It’s just so cool!

You Can Tell Cena Was Hungry To Get Into Show Business When You Watch It

Here’s another interesting thing about his film career. He may be getting more ensemble pieces than leading roles these days, but I think this has actually boosted his cred more than if he had stuck with doing films like The Marine. After this one, there were actually five other movies in this franchise (mostly starring The Miz) that went straight to DVD and Blu-Ray.

Even so, you can tell that Cena was hungry to get into acting when he made this movie, because there’s an intensity here that you don’t really see in any of his other films. Now, yes, that might be because intensity is what was called for in the role.

Shots of him running full speed at enemies and lifting them up is reminiscent of what you’d see him do in the wrestling ring. However, I just get a feeling that Cena was trying to prove himself as an actor when he made this film.

By 2006, The Rock had made a few films, but the history of wrestlers-turned-actors wasn’t anything to boast about. Hulk Hogan had been in films like Rocky III and No Holds Barred, but those really played upon his wrestling persona. The Rock had fared better, but even he at this point seemed to lean more on being “The Rock” than Dwayne Johnson, the movie star. So, The Marine feels like Cena is trying to branch out from being just a wrestler, and I appreciate it for that reason.

Robert Patrick Is Always A Good Villain

Few movies have impacted me more than Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I mean, just the opening scene alone is worth the price of admission. In fact, when I first saw the movie at the tender age of 8, I remember being wowed by it, but also utterly terrified because of one actor, and his name is Robert Patrick.

As the terrifying T-1000, Patrick stole every scene he was in. Though he was much smaller than Arnold Schwarzenegger, he was several times more intimidating. That’s the power of Robert Patrick. Well, he’s also the main antagonist in The Marine, and he plays the gang leader, Rome.

Now, Rome is the kind of guy who can wear a suit and tie, but also walk out to the White Zombie song, “More Human Than Human,” and it feels completely legit. He’s also the kind of guy who has underlings who carry around rocket launchers and blow up police vehicles. In short, he’s a really bad dude.

At the same time, he’s got a great sense of humor. He’ll smirk while blowing up a building, but then comically frown when he realizes that the Marine escaped just before the building exploded.

My favorite part of the movie is when Cena is chasing him in a car, and one of Rome’s subordinates comments on how The Marine is like The Terminator, to which Patrick glances in the rearview mirror as a nod to his former character. In short, Patrick is a stellar villain, and he's a highlight of this film.

It's A Great Time Capsule Of Early 2000s Action Movies

Lastly, this is an amazing time capsule for the early 2000s, which is one of my favorite time periods when it comes to action movies. For example, take the Crank movies (my favorite Jason Statham franchise). These flicks were straight up balls to the wall action, and they still kick ass to this very day.

Well, I'd also put a movie like The Marine in that category, since they honestly don’t make action flicks like this anymore. I love the John Wick movies, but they're…I don't know. Too slick? Too…dare I say, artsy?

The Marine, like a lot of action movies from the early 2000s, was super shaggy. They were almost a return to form to the ‘80s action movies where big dudes with muscles laid waste to other big dudes, and I like to rewatch a film like this to take me back to that time period.

What do you think? Do you also love this 2006 John Cena gem? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

WWE fans had no idea what they were in for when perhaps the best wrestler-turned-actor, John Cena, announced his retirement from in-ring competition in July 2024. A little over a year later, and the upcoming WWE events calendar only has a few appearances from the Peacemaker star left where his millions of fans can see the wildly popular “last real champion” verbally assassinate his competition before doing his all to beat them in the ring. While Cena has admitted he’d wrestle “for free,” he’s also now opened up about why his run as a WWE superstar has to end.

What Did John Cena Say About Why He’s Ending His Wrestling Career Now?

No wrestling fan is ever without intriguing topics of conversation, but one thing that’s consistently dominated sports entertainment chatter in 2025 has been John Cena’s farewell tour. After making his WWE debut way back in June 2002 with a lot of “ruthless aggression,” this is now his last year as a competitor.

Not only have he and the company cleaned up when it comes to merch sales (a new shirt/hat/rally towel combo for every city) and selling out his appearances (whether he wrestled that night or not), but his long-hoped-for (but still shocking) heel turn and recent pre-Summer Slam reversal to face form have kept folks yelling “You can’t see me!” at every opportunity. With the arrival of WWE: Unreal (available with a Netflix subscription), however, fans can hear the future hall of fame star open up about his love of wrestling and why he has to call it a day now. In a clip (which was posted on Instagram), Cena said:

The now 17 time WWE World Champion has been open in the recent past about how his time as a wrestler was running out. In fact, shortly before Money in the Bank 2024 (where he announced his retirement), he was open about it, and told People “I know my WWE journey is coming to an end.”

He’d also, way back in 2021 when he was in the midst of another active wrestling run, did say he didn’t want to get slower in the ring to the point where he was “offending the customer,” so it would appear that in the past couple of years he did hit the point where he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep up for much longer. You can watch the full clip, below:

Even though it’s unfortunate that Cena has now basically hit that wall, at least he was aware enough to see it coming, get ahead of it and pull out all the stops so that he could give fans a surprising final year. As noted, it’s not quite over yet, so we can look forward to having a few months of big and (likely) shocking moments with Cena to close out the year before it’s all said and done.

The DC Universe is officially here, with co-CEO James Gunn beginning Gods and Monsters with projects on the silver screen and streaming with a HBO Max subscription. Superman was the first movie, and featured a brief but memorable cameo by John Cena's Peacemaker. And the wrestler turned actor revealed the last-minute way it came together.

Peacemaker Season 2 will be here before we know it, as its just a few weeks away from finally debuting. Getting a glimpse of the title character in Superman was exciting for fans like myself, and a video from Peacemaker's Twitter offered a peek behind the curtain. Regarding how he ended up in James Gunn's blockbuster, Cena revealed:

How fun is that? While superhero movies and shared universes can appear like they're meticulously planned, sometimes serendipity and inspiration result in movie magic. Cena's cameo in Superman wasn't vital to the plot, but seeing Peacemaker shortly before getting Season 2 of his series was a great way to buoy excitement. Now I already want to see that character in an upcoming DC movie.

Gunn was doing a ton of world-building during Superman, on top of telling an emotional story about the Man of Steel. The movie featured other DC heroes, and also briefly introduced Sean Gunn's Maxwell Lord and Milly Alcock's Supergirl. Peacemaker showing on TV showed how many vigilantes are at play in the burgeoning franchise, and confirmed the filmmaker's plans to keep things connected.

Later in the same interview, John Cena spoke about Gunn's influence, and how that played into him showing up in Superman. He explained:

Talk about loyalty. But considering that James Gunn collaborated with Cena on The Suicide Squad and Peacemaker Season 1 before the filmmaker became co-CEO of DC Studios, it makes sense. They'e got years of experience together, and were deep into the work for Season 2 when the idea of his Superman cameo came up. Sounds like he was thrilled to get in on the fun and help expand the world for the Guardians of the Galaxy filmmaker.

Sometimes coincidence is part of Hollywood, and it sounds like the Season 2 Peacemaker costume was completed just in time for Cena's cameo in Superman. Hopefully he'll get to come face to face with David Corenswet's hero sometime in the future.

Superman is in theaters now as part of the 2025 movie release list, and Peacemaker Season 2 will premiere August 21st on HBO Max. The DCU is here, and it seems like just about anything is possible.

John Cena is winding down his professional wrestling career. He’s officially announced he will retire at the end of this year, at which point one assumes he will fully dedicate himself to his successful acting career. What’s unclear is how much Cena will miss wrestling or if he actually prefers acting.

In a recent appearance at Fan Expo in Dallas, a young fan asked Cena which of his two careers he liked more. The kid, when asked by Cena, had his own idea, which made perfect sense, about why the WWE champ might be happy he’s leaving the ring behind: acting hurts less. The exchange went like this…

• Kid: "In your opinion, what do you like doing more, wrestling or acting?"
• Cena: "That's a great question. What do you think?"
• Kid: "I think because in wrestling, you get hurt."

While physical injuries can happen while acting (just ask Tom Cruise), it’s certainly more likely in the world of professional wrestling. Cena himself has missed his share of time on TV due to injuries that kept him out of action.

However, Cena had a quite insightful, and not the least bit heartbreaking, response to the kid’s suggestion. Acting hurts too, just not physically. With a tongue-in-cheek response to his work, Cena brought up that critical response to his films has apparently hurt his feelings at times, saying…

While John Cena has received some solid reviews for his work in many movies, that certainly isn’t always the case. Cena has been in more than his share of bad movies, and I’m sure reading a review that doesn’t have nice things to say doesn’t feel good.

That being said, it’s not like WWE is a place that never hurts your feelings. An arena full of “Cena Sucks” chants when you’re supposed to be one of the top babyfaces on the show probably doesn’t feel great. At least now, when Cena enters the arena as a heel, they’re supposed to be booing.

John Cena took those “Cena Sucks” years in stride, and he seems to be doing the same thing with the bad reviews. Even as he answered the kid’s question, you can tell he’s doing it with a sense of humor. Check out the full exchange below.

With some high-profile projects coming out in the next several months, like Peacemaker Season 2, which was well-received the first time around, and Coyote vs. ACME, where Cena is already getting a positive response, there’s a decent chance the next few reviews won’t be too hard on him. Hopefully he won’t get his body, or his feelings, hurt anytime soon.

Neither WWE nor Travis Scott has publicly commented on the current status of their relationship, but there are rumors and mixed messages everywhere. The multi-platinum rapper was featured very prominently in some key moments earlier this year, but he hasn’t actually made a new appearance in months. Many insiders have been claiming for the last week that he’s no longer welcome, but Cody Rhodes seemed to imply something else entirely during a recent media appearance.

There’s a lot here. So, let’s just back up and tell the story from the beginning. Travis Scott made a surprise appearance alongside The Rock at Elimination Chamber back in March. They were joined by longtime good guy John Cena who unexpectedly turned heel and seemed to form some kind of Hollywood alliance with the two. They all attacked WWE Champion Cody Rhodes and during the resulting fallout in the ring, Scott slapped Rhodes in the head while he was defenseless and on the ground. It looked particularly bad on television, and there were whispers that he busted the then WWE Champion’s eardrum.

Rhodes confirmed that did happen during an interview on Hot Ones this week…

Fans absolutely loved the segment, particularly the dynamic between The Rock and John Cena, but many were outraged by how disrespectful Scott’s slap seemed to be. Those involved with WWE, at least the ones speaking on the record, downplayed the incident. The Rock defended Scott and said he’d told the rapper to “make it count,” and WWE execs talked about how he was going to be training in the performance center. Rumors even swirled that he’d be getting in the ring for a match at some point.

Scott made another appearance at WrestleMania 41 in April, though this time it was without The Rock and it was very poorly received. He took forever to walk to the ring, and fans largely felt like it stepped on a huge moment in John Cena’s career. The backlash was very loud and nearly unanimous, but WWE didn’t shy away from the moment. It continuously showed replays of Scott’s appearance, and the stories continued about how he was going to be training and getting back in the ring.

More than three months later, however, the picture seems to have changed. Leading up to celebrity wrestler Jelly Roll’s match at SummerSlam, head booker Triple H made several public comments about how hard the musician was training and said a lot of celebrities think they want to do this but are unwilling to put in the work. His words were interpreted by many to be a shot at Scott, whose rumored appearance as a playable character in WWE 2K25 was abruptly cancelled.

This past week, stories emerged in the mainstream press that Scott and WWE had some kind of falling out over his alleged lack of commitment to training. Current star Drew McIntyre called him a “piece of shit” during an appearance on Logan Paul’s Impaulsive podcast, and former WWE stars got a lot more open with their criticisms, with Stevie Richards calling his slap of Rhodes “sloppy, reckless and self-serving.”

I assumed this was officially the end of things between Scott and WWE, but against all odds, the rapper was featured pretty prominently in the intro video to SummerSlam. During that same appearance on Hot Ones, Rhodes also put Scott over and said he hopes he comes back to WWE in the future. Check out this quote…

Now, I tend to think Scott’s relationship with WWE is over. I think they used him in the intro to SummerSlam because he’s a famous name and the Fed loves showing its crossover appeal. I think Rhodes said some nice things because he’s a WWE spokesman and is rarely critical of people, especially celebrities making appearances, but tonight is going to be a big night to test that theory. The Rock and Scott were both very involved in the John Cena and Cody Rhodes storyline, and those two men are having their long-awaited rematch tonight. If he were going to show up, tonight is the night that would make sense for him to do so. I don’t think he will, but you never know.

You can check out the match tonight at SummerSlam, which is streaming for free on Peacock in The United States and via Netflix in most of the rest of the world. You can also check out my predictions where I break down what I think is going to happen.

Full disclosure, I tuned out of the DC Extended Universe before Peacemaker Season 1 dropped, so I didn’t rush to watch it with my HBO Max subscription. That lack of enthusiasm persisted until I had kind of forgotten about the show. After seeing Superman, the first DC Universe movie, last month and catching John Cena’s cameo, I finally sat down to watch it. I have mixed thoughts on the show, but not the character.

I Didn’t Love The Show, But I Don’t Love Any Superhero Shows

If I’m honest, Peacemaker wasn’t my favorite show. In fact, despite loving a ton of the superhero movies, I don’t tend to get all that into any of the shows, be they DCU shows or MCU shows. Peacemaker was much the same way. It’s like a different kind of superhero fatigue. I’m not sick of the movies, but I do get bored with the shows.

Like most others, I started to tire of Peacemaker. It’s not because I wasn’t laughing, I was certainly doing that, the character is amazing. It’s not because I thought it was a terrible show, either. It’s great… for a superhero show. Eventually, though, I just got sick of it. I think it’s fair to acknowledge that this is a “me problem” and not one that is easily cured, unfortunately.

The show, and the character, are abrasive, by design, and that’s another thing that wears me out when I watch TV shows like it. I have the same problem with great shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm. Shows with that much uncomfortableness and second-hand embarrassment really start to grate on me. It doesn’t mean I don’t find Larry David or Peacemaker funny, I just can only take so much of that kind of humor before I need a break.

I Do Love The Character And Can’t Wait For More

All that said, I really love the character of Peacemaker and John Cena’s performance as the overly-macho superhero. I love the bad language and the off-color, dark humor. It’s like a more abrasive, more “bro-y” version of Deadpool, but without the actual superpowers. He’s pretty great as a character. Cena was born to play the role, and I genuinely got excited when I saw him pop up in Superman.

Like Ryan Reynolds and Deadpool, Peacemaker is a role that no other actor would play nearly as well as Cena. A month ago, I would have said I didn’t care one way or another if he continued into the newly revamped and rebooted DCU, but now I’m finding myself yearning to find where were he will fit in.

Peacemaker Season 2 is dropping as part of the 2025 TV schedule in a few weeks, and I’m determined to watch as the episodes become available so I don’t find myself getting burned out like I did with Season 1. Maybe that will help me embrace the show like I’ve embraced the character. I really can’t wait to see how James Gunn works the character into more upcoming superhero movies, which is where I know I love him the most.

John Cena is one of the most successful WWE stars to jump into the acting game. The current WWE champ is officially wrapping up his career in the ring this year, but there will certainly be elements of that time that will follow him forever. Chief among them is his classic “You can’t see me” catchphrase. Cena seems to embrace those continued quips as they come, though his Peacemaker collaborator, James Gunn, isn't much of a fan, to Cena's amusement.

Cena’s WWE line has ended up on t-shirts and has become a meme in its own right that often takes the statement literally, suggesting that Cena is in pictures where he is not, but is actually invisible. While CinemaBlend was in the audience during the Peacemaker Season 2 panel at SDCC, Cena revealed Gunn's disdain for the catchphrase, and he proceeded to initiate in entire bit in order to troll the DC Studios co-head. Check it out:

Cena’s discussion of being “invisible” came following a question regarding the fact that he will play multiple versions of the Peacemaker character during Season 2 of the HBO Max series. It does not appear that any of the versions of the character will actually be invisible, if only for the reason that James Gunn writes the show and he doesn’t think the jokes are funny.

It can’t really be argued that the "You Can’t See Me" jokes aren’t incredibly silly. However, it seems that Cena doesn’t mind that. For whatever reason, it’s not entirely clear why Gunn doesn’t love the gags so much. While Gunn is laughing through the exchange, he certainly doesn't look like he doesn’t thinks it’s that funny.

As somebody who does find it all funny, I love the meme -- and I think I also love that James Gunn hates it. It honestly makes the entire thing funnier. Not everybody in Hollywood dislikes the joke. John Cena’s Barbie co-star, Simu Liu, leaned into the meme for Cena’s birthday last year. The comments on our Instagram post also clearly find it funny, as many of them are making jokes about James Gunn doing the Peacemaker Season 2 panel without Cena in attendance.

Whether the meme will ever die remains to be seen. John Cena has officially announced his retirement from professional wrestling at the end of 2025, which means that part of his professional life will become history. It means he won’t be actively associated with that character anymore, though it certainly doesn’t mean it will be forgotten. We still make jokes about smelling what The Rock is cooking today, although the answer is usually a massive cheat meal.

While James Gunn may not find invisible John Cena funny, he clearly thinks John Cena is quite funny. Peacemaker’s first season was a delight, and Season 2 has every reason to be just as good, if not better. The one thing that can be certain is that throughout the next season, we'll alweays be able to see John Cena.

Check out the second season of DC's Peacemaker when it premieres on HBO Max on August 21 amid the 2025 TV schedule.

There was a bit of grumbling from some fans when WWE announced SummerSlam was moving to two nights this year. To be honest, I was a little skeptical, as well, but looking at the card, I’m ready to lace my boots up and get in the ring. Twelve matches have already been announced, and given Triple H’s normal booking style, it’s a safe bet that at least five of them would not have made the card if it was taking place entirely on one night. That’s a win, especially because of how deep the roster is right now.

It has never been harder to make a WWE PLE than it is at this very moment. Between the modern preference for only including five to seven matches per night and arguably the most superstars over with the crowd since the Attitude Era, you really need to earn your way onto one of these big shows. That’s why for WrestleMania and now SummerSlam, it’s nice to have that second night to reward more deserving talent.

Between the two nights, more than forty superstars are going to be in action, and it’s likely we’ll get surprise appearances and/ or segments from a few more. The main event is, of course, the long-awaited WrestleMania 41 rematch between John Cena and Cody Rhodes for The WWE Championship, but beyond that, there’s also going to be an additional eight titles up for grabs, plus a tag match featuring Roman Reigns and a wild celebrity tag featuring Jelly Roll, Logan Paul, Randy Orton and Drew McIntyre.

Before I get into what I think is going to happen, here’s a look at my track record on predictions. I’ve been prognosticating ahead of every PLE since WrestleMania 38, and while my record is not exactly Hulk Hogan-like (RIP), it’s still enough to keep my contract getting picked up.

Tiffany Stratton (Champion) Vs Jade Cargill For The WWE Women’s Championship

There is perhaps no female superstar on the entire roster that fans are more divided on than Jade Cargill. She looks like a star. She executes specific moves in the ring like she’s a star. She has the aura and the charisma you want in a champion. She has the potential to be the face of the division, but it’s been more than a year and a half since her debut at the 2024 Royal Rumble and this is the first time she’s felt like a legitimate threat to win a singles championship.

That’s probably because there are times in the ring in which she seems to get a little lost, especially on the transitions between moves. There are times in which she seems a little reckless with her opponents. There are times in which it seems like WWE is protecting her with the way they put together her matches. There are times in which she hasn't been featured nearly as often as you'd think.

With all due respect to Tiffany Stratton, who has a long and bright future ahead of her, the outcome here is about Jade Cargill. She won Queen Of The Ring. She’s been beating everyone she’s been put in the ring with for months, usually in pretty dominating fashion. If WWE is going to pull the trigger on her, now feels like the moment. It feels like it’s time to rip off the band-aid and see if she can grow into the superstar we all know is there.

Predicted Winner: Jade Cargill

Randy Orton And Jelly Roll Vs Drew McIntyre And Logan Paul

More serious wrestling fans have had some complaints about this getting a spot on the SummerSlam card, but I’m supportive of mixing in celebrities, as long as they take it seriously. WrestleMania 1 was main evented by Mr. T, and we’ve seen some banger matches with non-wrestlers in recent years including Bad Bunny and Johnny Knoxville. By all accounts, Jelly Roll is putting in the work, and I loved seeing the recent segment the four stars did on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

I think we’re going to get a really fun match here. Drew McIntyre and Logan Paul should have a great time playing it up with the crowd during moments they have the momentum, and I think Jelly Roll is going to surprise fans with a really unexpected move he’s probably been training on in the performance center. Throw in a hot crowd, and this could overachieve big time.

That being said, we all know Jelly Roll and Randy Orton are going to win here. WWE typically rewards celebrities with a victory in these sorts of matches, and there’s no reason to think this one will be any different, especially because Logan Paul can eat a pin without really affecting the trajectory or popularity of his character.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton & Jelly Roll

Gunther (Champion) VS CM Punk For The World Heavyweight Championship

I’m finding this to be one of the harder matches to pick on the entire card. On the one hand, it’s time for CM Punk to win a singles championship. He’s too over with the crowd and has done too much good work since his return not to be carrying around gold in the near future. He needs to be rewarded with a signature victory, especially after a terrific promo on Monday where he talked about how much he needs this.

On the other hand, however, that signature victory feels like it should be for The WWE Championship. With all due respect to Gunther and The World Heavyweight Championship, that’s clearly the secondary prize, and given Punk’s long history at the company, it would feel a lot more poetic if his big moment was with a championship he has so much good and bad history with.

It would also be nice to see Gunther get a big win on a big stage like this. He lost in big spots at the last two WrestleManias, and even though he got his victory back against Jey Uso, he’s still dealing with fans chanting “you tapped out.” My favorite Gunther is the one that dominates, and it would do a lot for his character if we got to watch him go over CM Punk clean here.

Predicted Winner: Gunther

Raquel Rodriguez And Roxanne Perez (Champions) Vs Alexa Bliss And Charlotte Flair For The WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships

Before I get into fawning over Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair, let me say a few words about Raquel and Roxanne. They’ve done a fantastic job of keeping this title relevant since Liv Morgan got injured. They’ve been contributing good weekly backstage segments and putting on banger matches (shoutout Sheamus) whenever their number has been called. Raquel is really starting to maximize her potential in the ring and has quietly been a part of several of the best women’s tag team matches in company history. Roxanne has found her place on the main roster and thrived within Judgment Day, and under normal circumstances, I’d advocate for them to hold onto the titles.

But there is something here with Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss that has main event potential, and the long-term upside is too high not to prioritize it. Like many fans, I wasn’t really sure where Flair could go after her poorly received program with Tiffany Stratton. She was getting the worst crowd responses of her entire career, and with so many talented women at the top of the card, I started wondering for the first time whether she’d ever be able to make it back on top.

Alexa Bliss has brought something new out of her though. The two have fantastic chemistry, and it has humanized Flair in a way we’ve never really seen from her. It’s made her really likeable, and fans gave her, arguably, the best reception of her entire career at Evolution. It’s been great for Bliss too, as she’s always had fantastic crowd support but hasn’t really been treated like a potential main eventer in a long time.

You could fantasy book a Charlotte and Alexa run a million different ways. Maybe they stay together for a year. Maybe they stay together for a few months. Maybe they remain friends over the long-term. Maybe they turn into bitter enemies. We all have our own opinions on how that should play out, but it’s pretty obvious the next step in their story needs to be winning these tag team championships and having a big moment together in the ring. That will make whatever comes later way more impactful.

Predicted Winner: Charlotte Flair And Alexa Bliss

Roman Reigns And Jey Uso Vs Bron Breakker And Bronson Reed

The safer move here is to put Roman Reigns and Jey Uso over. They’re the two biggest merch sellers in the entire company, and they get significantly bigger crowd reactions than Breakker and Reed. They’re the bigger stars, and both of them could benefit from a big win on a stage like this. I’d have to imagine that’s probably what WWE is going to do, especially after Breakker and Reed dominated them on this week’s Monday Night Raw, which is often a bad sign for winning at a PLE.

Let me just make the case for Breakker and Reed here real quick though. WWE clearly sees a huge future for both. They were put into a faction with Seth Rollins after ‘Mania, and even after he got hurt, they have been pushed just as hard alongside manager Paul Heyman. We’re meant to see them as the future of the company, and there would be no better way to signal that future is here than by letting them beat Roman Reigns on a big stage at SummerSlam.

Given Reigns has slowed down considerably over the past few years on appearances and he’s going to be filming the new Street Fighter movie, it’s unlikely WWE is going to push him back into the title picture in the near future. Jey Uso’s future is also a bit in doubt, as he had that remarkable singles run but doesn’t seem likely to be elevated back to that level in the near future. So, why can’t they lose again?

I’m going to predict Roman Reigns and Jey Uso are going to go over here because they’re Roman Reigns and Jey Uso, but I think the smarter long-term decision here would be to give Breakker and Reed a moment.

Predicted Winner: Roman Reigns And Jey Uso

Sami Zayn Vs Karrion Kross

No match more obviously benefited from SummerSlam being two nights than this one, but I am here for it. Kross has been getting over with fans in a big way, and it’s nice to see him rewarded with a singles match on a prestige card like this. But you still have to ask yourself, why is this here? Is it because we're about to get a huge moment of character development for Zayn?

Sami has arguably been the biggest straight-up babyface (other than Cody Rhodes) in the company for the past few years. He was the sympathetic hero to root for during the Bloodline storyline, and he got rewarded with career-defining moments at consecutive WrestleManias with his wins over The Usos and Gunther. Exactly where he goes from here is a big question, however.

The crowd still likes Zayn, but he’s not as hot as he once was. He’s been vowing for a long time that he’ll become World Champion some day. I’m sure fans would get behind that quest if WWE would push him hard enough, but with so many household names at the top of the card, it’s unclear if WWE has any plans on actually doing that. Kross has been telling Zayn for months that to get to the next level, he needs to essentially become a bad guy. There’s a chance we finally get that here. It would be a big risk for Zayn, but it could be a really unique way to reinvent his character by watching him cheat to win here, something he’d ordinarily never do.

Predicted Winner: Sami Zayn

Naomi (Champion) Vs Rhea Ripley Vs Iyo Sky For The Women’s World Championship

There’s really no bad outcome here. Rhea Ripley and Iyo Sky are both mega-over babyfaces that the crowd would love to see win the belt back, and Naomi is doing the best work of her entire career as the heel champion. You could tell a compelling story with any of these three winning the belt.

The case for Rhea is pretty simple. She’s the most popular woman in the history of the business, and while she’s had long runs as champion, she’s also done a lot of losing more recently. She’s been able to stomach those losses as they’ve involved outside interference or someone else eating the pin, but at some point, if you want fans to see you as dominant, you need to be dominant. Putting the belt on the most over performer is never a bad idea.

The case for Iyo is pretty clear too. The crowd loves her, and every single match she puts on is fantastic, no matter who her opponent is. She wasn’t really given enough storylines or weekly time the last time she had the belt, and it would be nice to put the strap back on her and lean in harder this time around.

Either of those possibilities works for me, but I’m still going to go with Naomi. I don’t think she’s going to be champion for six more months, but I do think she’s been too good to take the belt off her this quickly. She deserves at least a few more months with the title, and that starts with winning here. I don’t think it’ll be clean. It’ll probably involved some shady and underhanded tactics, but I think she’s probably going to walk out as champion.

Predicted Winner: Naomi

Becky Lynch (Champion) Vs Lyra Valkyria For The Women’s Intercontinental Championship

I think the big question is whether we see Bayley here. She gave a very somber interview on Raw where she talked about missing WrestleMania and now missing SummerSlam. I think we’re about to get a heel turn, and given how involved she has been in this entire program, it would make a lot of sense for it to happen here.

Now, how exactly a heel turn would work is complicated. She’s had matches with Becky and Lyra, though she clearly has more animosity toward Becky. Unfortunately, attacking Becky, given she’s a heel herself, wouldn’t exactly draw any heat from the crowd; so, my guess is she would just attack both of them, which would lead to a sequence of events that would see Lyra losing and Becky retaining.

Even if she doesn’t show up, I still think Becky is probably going to win here. The Intercontinental Championship picture has almost solely focused on these three women for months, and it’s time to get some fresh blood in there. If Lyra wins, we’re just going to get stuck in the same loop. So, look for her to lose and then possibly move to SmackDown with some new challengers being moved to Raw as future Becky opponents if there’s a draft.

Predicted Winner: Becky Lynch

Solo Sikoa (Champion) Vs Jacob Fatu For The United States Championship

Jacob Fatu is a star. WWE has started making speciality merchandise for Fatu that’s custom to different cities, and there have been a lot of reports that Triple H, Bruce Prichard and the other writers plan on really pushing him. That almost certainly starts with winning this match. I was shocked to see him lose the belt to Solo the first time, but I would be even more shocked to see him lose to the wannabe Tribal Chief twice. That doesn’t make any sense for his character.

Now, how WWE chooses to handle the match is an open question. Even though the match is in a steel cage, it’s likely Solo Sikoa is going to play the numbers game. Fatu obviously has my guy Big Jim Uso in his corner, but it feels like he’s going to need more firepower than that. Maybe that’ll come in the form of a returning Tama Tonga who could side with Fatu or maybe that’ll come via a new debuting character or maybe Fatu will just straight up win despite a numbers disadvantage, which would make him look as powerful as possible. We’ll see.

Even though he’s going to lose, I will give a quick shoutout to Solo though. He’s really found himself in this more comedic character, I’m excited to see what he does moving forward.

Predicted Winner: Jacob Fatu

Dominik Mysterio (Champion) Vs AJ Styles For The Intercontinental Championship

Rumors swirled recently that AJ Styles quietly signed a one year extension on his contract. I think WWE is going to want to give him some big moments before he retires, if this is, in fact, his last run, but I’m skeptical they’re going to have him beat Dominik Mysterio here. The current IC Champion got a prime Stone Cold pop during his recent appearance at AAA in Mexico, and his Honky Tonk Man style bit as the cowardly champion is currently working really well. It feels too early to bail on it.

I expect these two to put on a hell of a match. Styles is one of the best in-ring workers in the history of the business, and Mysterio has worked hard to improve to the point where he’s pretty good. With a hot crowd and the potential for some outside interference, I think this could be one of the most popular matches of the weekend.

It’s also the sort of thing where we could see a sketchy finish. Triple H doesn’t really like DQ finishes that negate a title change, but there’s a lot more meat on the bone of this feud that they may want to carry forward. I think Dominik is going to remain champion, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw these two again at an upcoming PLE.

Predicted Winner: Dominik Mysterio

The Wyatt Sicks (Champions) Vs DIY Vs The Street Profits Vs Fraxiom Vs The Motor City Machine Guns Vs Andrade And Rey Fénix For The WWE Tag Team Championship

Fans were furious when the SmackDown tag team division was left off the WrestleMania 41 card, and those complaints only got louder after DIY, The Street Profits and Motor City Machine Guns dropped an all-time classic TLC match in the days after the event. I still can’t believe they got passed over, but this SummerSlam placement is at least some consolation.

I have no idea if this will be able to live up to the last TLC match, but expect all six of these tag teams to put on a hell of an effort to try. For many, it will be the biggest match in the biggest spot of their entire careers, or at least close to it. They will go all out to prove they belong and go all out to prove how good the SmackDown tag division is. Expect some WTF high spots and a bunch of coordinated, high athleticism moves.

I have no idea who is going to win the match. You could make a legit case for every team participating. Part of me thinks the right answer is to default to the current champions, The Wyatt Sicks, but I’m having a hard time betting against Andrade and Rey Fénix. They clearly have the most momentum, and the crowd has really gotten into every one of their matches. It wouldn’t be surprised to see them rewarded in a big spot here.

Predicted Winner: Andrade And Rey Fénix

John Cena (Champion) Vs Cody Rhodes For The WWE Championship

John Cena, despite his promises, is not going to retire with The WWE Championship. He’s not gonna take the belt and go home because it doesn’t make any sense to end a championship lineage going back to the early 1960s. That means he’s going to lose at some point, but exactly when that’s going to be is an open question.

Cena will be around in some fashion for the rest of the year, which means WWE needs to decide whether to take the belt off him now and give him time for a final run as a babyface or to let him keep rolling as the heel champion. I would have definitely said they’d keep the belt on him a little longer before announcing the Cody rematch, but now I’m not so sure. In fact, I think there’s a chance WWE might be about to execute something far grander.

A double turn in wrestling is when one character goes into a match as the face or hero and another character goes into the match as a heel or villain, but afterwards, they emerge playing the opposite roles. The most famous example is Bret Hart and Stone Cold Steve Austin at WrestleMania 13, which was recently inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.

I think there’s a chance we get the same thing here. For months, we’ve been getting the occasional hints that Cena is being worn down by his role as the villain, that maybe he doesn’t want to be cheating to win in every match. At the same time, there have been hints that Cody Rhodes is more willing to get his hands dirty, that he’s maybe not as clean cut of a good guy as we thought. What if Cody cheated to win, Cena realized the error of his ways, and they each emerged from the match in a very different place?

I don’t know if the double turn is going to happen, but I do think Cody is going to win the championship. Yes, it feels early, but since I think Rhodes is going to be the one to dethrone Cena and I don’t see them wrestling again in a bigger spot, I have to think this is going to be the moment. I also think these two are going to have a great match, as they're going to be particularly motivated after the reception to their WrestleMania 41 match was less than ideal.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

There are still plenty of massive titles that have yet to premiere as part of the 2025 TV schedule, and Peacemaker Season 2 is one of them. It’s been some time since fans have seen John Cena’s Christopher Smith in action, but he and the 11th Street Kids are on their way back for new adventures. The first full trailer for the season was just released amid San Diego Comic-Con, and it teases some multiversal shenanigans for Chris. With that, there’s one wild and funny thing I’d love to see involving a major DCU character.

Christopher Smith’s Life In The Alternate Universe Should Have One Fun Component

Peacemaker Season 2 finds Chris trying to solidify himself as a legitimate hero, but he’s not having the best luck. As shown in the trailer above, with nothing going his way, Chris decides to use his father’s portal to a parallel world to start a brand-new life. The footage shows that in the alternate universe, Smith is not only a celebrated hero, but he’s also in a relationship with comrade Emilia Harcourt. There are so many possibilities to consider when it comes to the multiverse and, with this continuity, Smith could have a seriously powerful ally.

Considering that Smith is apparently a beloved hero in the other universe, it’s possible that he could be a member of the Justice Gang or at least on good terms with them. What I’d specifically love to see Chris be established as one of Superman’s best friends in that continuity. Even more, I don’t even want that just to be said – I’d love for Supes actor David Corenswet to cameo so that we can actually see some semblance of a bromance.

That’s a kooky idea, I know, but writer/director/producer James Gunn is just quirky enough to add something like that into the narrative. Also, Gunn has been teasing some appearances from more than a few major DCU players – aside from the already-revealed Green Lantern (Nathan Fillion), Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced) and Maxwell Lord (Sean Gunn). So why not have the Man of Steel show up, albeit in a very unconventional way?

Peacemaker Season 2’s Trailer Teases Even More Chaos For The Character And His Allies

Fans have known for a while now that Frank Grillo is part of Peacemaker Season 2 reprising his Creature Commandos and Superman role as Rick Flag Sr. It’s been said that the Flag is out for revenge against Chris for killing his son, and the trailer shows the enraged father getting some licks in against the costumed vigilante. That won’t be the only issue Smith will have to face, as it seems he’ll also come to blows with his counterpart from the other universe.

All the while, the other characters will seemingly be in a position in which they’ll have to rescue Chris. It seems that, in doing so, they’ll also brush up with both new and old faces like Tim Meadows’ Langston Fleury of A.R.G.U.S. and Nhut Le’s Judomaster. Overall, it feels like viewers are in for a wild ride with this upcoming DC show.

Peacemaker Season 2 has definitely been a long time coming, and I’m eager to see what lies ahead for the character. Of course, I’m also curious as to how James Gunn will continue to expand on this mythology now that the show is canon with the DCU. Hopefully, that change in continuity will shine through in interesting ways. And, if possible, I’d really love to see the alternate version of Chris chop it up with Superman.

The new season of Peacemaker debuts on August 21 and will be available for HBO Max subscription holders. Ahead of the new episodes, stream the entire first season now.

Remember that sad day back in 2023 on which is was reported that Warner Bros’ Coyote vs. Acme had been scrapped? It was definitely a gut-punch for Looney Tunes fans, to say the least. Thankfully, though, the situation turned around earlier this year when it was reported that the film had been acquired by another company. Now, the flick is set to hit the 2026 movie schedule! While CinemaBlend was in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con on Saturday, the first official batch of footage was revealed, and it featured John Cena as well as a sweet Bugs Bunny tease.

To put it simply, the Coyote vs. Acme footage looks amazing! As someone who was in the panel with the Hall H crowd, I have to say, Ketchup Entertainment really brought the hype for the new movie. During the event, they company showed us six minutes from the movie (marking the first time official footage had been released). Let's break it all down, shall we?

John Cena And Will Forte Bring The Comedy In Coyote vs. Acme Courtroom Scene

It’s wild to think about how Coyote vs. Acme didn’t have a clear fate at the beginning of this year. That thought is even wilder now that I've seen the new footage, because this looks like it could easily become a blockbuster. The first look I watched in Hall H featured a scene set in a courtroom, where Wile E. Coyote is attempting to sue the Acme Corporation for all the issues he’s dealt with over the years. Will Forte plays the character's lawyer, but he hasn’t been in court in decades and is super nervous.

The lawyer going up against him is played by John Cena, who shows up super confident in an amazing bolo tie and suit. Cena's character also woos the jury with his opening statement, during which he conveys why Acme is innocent in the situation. There’s a funny bit where Cena effortlessly commands the attention of the court by perfectly pouring a massive pitcher of water into a glass and downing the beverage, before Forte’s character tries to do the same thing and spills water everywhere.

Given this is a live-action/animation hybrid film, the trial crowd is a combination of human actors and Looney Tunes characters. It’s just fun to see this vision come to life after having heard about it over the last several years. In the past, Cena shared his disappointment over the film being scrapped and James Gunn even threw in his support. Needless to say, it's wonderful that this film will not only see the light of day but looks fantastic as well.

I Really Loved How Bugs Bunny Is Revealed To Be In The Movie

As great as the courtroom "drama" is, there's another bit of this footage that really works, and it's the reveal of Bugs Bunny. I'm particularly excited about how the footage teed up his role.

The first day in court doesn’t go as planned, as one of Acme’s products that Wile E. brings as “evidence” gets unleashed in the courtroom. The next scene cuts to Wile's stressed lawyer, who is watching the news' coverage of the trial, when he receives a phone call. It’s clearly the voice of Bugs Bunny, who contacts him to share that he has information that could really help him with the case. They plan a rendezvous when the clip ends,

Oh my goodness am I excited to see Bugs Bunny in this movie! Up until now, his involvement was unknown, so it's cool that he'll be involved in some capacity. While his presence has only been teased, it's possible that he could be playing some kind of "deep throat" role in this story, which would be hilarious.

Fans will have to try contain their excitement until Coyote vs. Acme hits theaters on August 26, 2026. In the meantime, grab an HBO Max subscription and stream great Looney Tunes content, including the film The Day the Earth Blew Up.

The history of wrestlers turned actors is a touch spotty, as there is a sizable list of performers who weren't quite able to properly transfer their charisma in the ring to the big screen. That being said, there are some stars who have done it quite well. The most successful is Dwayne Johnson, who has the box office receipts to back up the superlative... but who is the greatest of all time a.k.a. the GOAT? That's a question up for debate, but for John Cena, the answer is Dave Bautista.

Cena himself has obviously carved out an excellent career for himself in Hollywood, but he played humble in a recent Complex video for the series GOAT Talk when it came time to naming the GOAT of wrestler-turned-actors. Paired with his Heads of State co-lead Idris Elba in the clip, the Peacemaker lead briefly considers giving the honor to "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (with a special name-drop of John Carpenter's They Live), but he ultimately gives the GOAT distinction to Bautista. Said Cena,

It's common for wrestlers to primarily work in action movies, as those are the films that can typically best make use of their muscles and physicality. Dave Bautista has done plenty of those, with credits like the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Spectre, and Army Of The Dead on his resume, but part of what has made his acting career unique is his focus on working with some of the best and most notable filmmakers in the industry.

When John Cena speaks about Bautista's range, he's talking about his work with Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049 and the Dune movies), M. Night Shyamalan (Knock At The Cabin) and Rian Johnson (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery).

As for Idris Elba? He opted to support the self-esteem of John Cena by calling him the greatest wrestler-turned-actor of all time – and it's work that the British star has witnessed first hand. They first had the chance to work together a few years ago making James Gunn's The Suicide Squad, and you can check out their latest collaboration now, as Heads Of State just premiered last week and is available to stream with an Amazon Prime subscription. Per CinemaBlend's Nick Venable and his four star review of the action film, it's a title that well-highlights Cena's comedy and ass-kicking skills.

There are plenty of action movies we’ve been excited to see this year, and as we wait for blockbusters like Superman and slasher sequels like I Know What You Did Last Summer, John Cena and Idris Elba are hoping to provide audiences with some humor to go with their hijinks. Heads of State will be available to stream with a Prime Video subscription when it hits the 2025 movie premiere calendar just in time for July Fourth, and critics mostly agree it’s the best kind of dumb comedy.

In Heads of State, Idris Elba and John Cena team up in the name of action, playing the British prime minister and the U.S. president, respectively. After an assassination attempt, the bickering world leaders are forced to work together to keep each other alive and thwart a global conspiracy. In CinemaBlend’s review of Heads of State, our own Nick Venable says he “had a blast,” giving the movie 4 out of 5 stars and saying:

Nate Richard of Collider agrees, giving Heads of State a 7 out of 10 for being “stupid in all the right ways.” Idris Elba and John Cena are so great together that they overshadow a lot of the film’s other shortcomings, Richard says, writing:

IndieWire’s Siddhant Adlakha gives the flick a B and calls it “a hoot,” writing:

Olly Richards of Empire rates the upcoming Idris Elba movie 4 out of 5 stars, writing that this “really good, dumb comedy” has no ambitions to be anything other than a thoroughly good time, allowing it to hit that undemanding but entertaining sweet spot that many action-comedies lack. The critic continues:

If dumb humor is what Heads of State is going for, Justin Kim of Loud and Clear thinks it perhaps didn’t go far enough. The critic left the theater not fully satisfied but still rates the movie 3 out of 5 stars, writing that it provided too much entertainment to warrant a low score. In Kim’s words:

It sounds like the critics are mostly in agreement that Heads of State is great for a dose of stupid summer fun. Go ahead and add me to that list, as I also attended an early screening and was highly amused by the banter between John Cena and Idris Elba. You won’t have to wait long or go far for this one. Heads of State hits Amazon’s Prime Video on Wednesday, July 2.

While Hollywood blockbusters are still quite capable of producing bona fide solo heroes for audiences to cheer and worry for like John Wick and [insert specially skilled Liam Neeson character name], fewer and farther between are the two-hander action romps that populated video rental shelves in the '80s and '90s. That semi-dearth of duos is largely why I'm so grateful that John Cena and Idris Elba's rip-roaring new action-comedy Heads of State exists.

As produced by Amazon MGM — whose name is basically buddy branding in and of itself — Heads of State likely could have set Cena and Elba up with the dumbest story imaginable and their combined talents would have still made it worth watching. Thankfully, screenwriting duties were handled in part by veteran scribes Josh Appelbaum and Andre Nemec, whose most prominent addition to the action genre was unquestionably co-writing Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

Cena brings his WWE confidence as the relatively new President of the United States Will Derringer, who was a globally recognized action movie star prior to entering politics. Naturally, Will is the overly vocal and impulsive yin to the measured and clandestine yang of Elba's Sam Clarke, Britain's Prime Minister. Opposites initially don't attract as they're brought together to unveil a plot-driving plan to fellow NATO leaders, but a nagging terrorist threat forces them to see each other's strengths instead of just the faults. It's a classic set-up, and the two stars make both the clashing and vibing feel genuine throughout.

It's the third and biggest movie yet from director Ilya Naishuller, who is arguably responsible for injecting the biggest surprises and quirkiest moments that make Heads of State stand apart from the sea of overly serious political thrillers and lesser-than action-comedies that sacrifice wowzers stunts for ad-libbed one-liners.

Together, John Cena and Idris Elba are funny, charismatic and badass enough that I already want a sequel.

Idris Elba is the kind of actor who brings his A-game to every role, and he's quite polished at choosing projects that hit above a certain line of quality. Cena by and large shares that first trait, even if his body of work sits on a slightly lower echelon. Put the two together, and where one might expect to see two larger-than-life personalities fighting for screen-supremacy, and the result is instead perfectly complementary. The pairing worked in The Suicide Squad within a larger ensemble but fully thrives here.

Cena's Will Derringer is largely a caricature that mixes Donald Trump's political bravado and impulsive outbursts with former Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger's embrace of his Hollywood past. He's the kind of guy who loves to solve problems with easily digestible catchphrases, which initially puts him at odds with Elba's more stoic and contemplative Sam Clarke. Their argumentative dynamic creates a bit of a grind early on as everyone's personalities are spread out in full, but the pair's chemistry is locked in straightaway, making this way easier to watch than an actual political debate.

The two leaders are forced into teaming up aboard Air Force One after the flight gets targeted by a team of goons guided by Paddy Considine's shady mustachioed villain Viktor Gradov. Once the two heroes are free and clear of the plane crash, they're forced to go on the run to seek out a welcoming U.S. embassy, with plenty of expected and unexpected threats getting in their way. If you think it wouldn't get old watching Cena and Elba punch, kick and shoot enemies with gleeful aplomb, you'd be right.

Not that the two titular Heads provide the only star power. Priyanka Chopra-Jonas is every bit as badass as her co-stars while portraying MI6 agent Noel Bisset, whose prolonged absence during a chunk of the movie feels more like a scheduling issue than a story plus-up. The Boys and Novocaine's Jack Quaid pops in for some brazen and brutal delights, and might actually boast the most highlight reel-ready appearance of anyone.

Nobody director Ilya Naishuller gets his biggest budget yet, with lots of fun, unique, and explosive moments to show for it.

Russian filmmaker Ilya Naishuller made his mark on Hollywood and U.S. audiences with the 2015 action flick Hardcore Henry (budget: $2 million), which is infamous for being shot entirely from the first-person perspective of its main character. Next up, Naishuller turned Bob Odenkirk into a low-key action hero with 2021's Nobody (budget: $16 million), which was a big enough hit to spark a sequel (coming later this year).

With Heads of State, however, the director is working on a completely different level, and his ability to scale his talents up becomes quite evident during the first big action sequence onboard Air Force One. Actually, the moments that occur outside the plane are the best indicators of Naishuller's ability to shake up the norm. A couple of the most memorable shots in the film come from cameras that are attached to drone explosives aimed at the POTUS' plane, calling back to Hardcore Henry's P.O.V. approach.

Other stunts and shots peppered throughout the film also show off Naishuller's imaginative approach to camerawork – be on the lookout for a character who's missing his front teeth – which helps give Heads of State more personality than the majority of less playful releases. Even when explosive weapons aren't in use, Will and Sam's hand-to-hand combat scenes are somehow just as much fun and exciting to watch.

That applies fully to the main antagonist's top pair of hyper-violent enforcers, Sasha the Killer (Alexander Kuznetsov) and Olga the Killer (Katrina Durden), who seem to defy death as they continue chasing the two world leaders wherever necessary. The duo would have felt right at home in The Raid or Oldboy.

I admittedly expected more of those unique and unexpected moments throughout, and it's entirely possible that making such a big budget movie for Amazon MGM stymied some of Ilya Naishuller's wackier instincts in order to keep everything on a clear and understandable narrative path.

Despite early issues with plot and tone, Heads of State boasts a pretty flawless second half.

Had a version of Heads of State come out in the '80s alongside the comparable buddy action classics Lethal Weapon and 48 Hrs., the political exposition laid out in the first act likely wouldn't have inspired a second glance. But at a time when real-world news is affected by partisanship at every level, watching any kind of immature tête-à-tête between two global leaders – even a fictional comedic-minded one – can immedaitely become exhausting.

Beyond the politico murk, the film's opening sequences also have a lot of exposition and character introductions to get through, which is where audiences first meet Chopra-Jonas' Noel and Sarlto Copley's Agent Coop. Which leads to introductions for Will's Chief of Staff Simone (Sarah Niles), Sam's second banana Quincy (Richard Coyle) and Viktor Gradov's American quasi-henchman Arthur (Stephen Root). Let's also not forget Will's Vice President Elizabeth Kirk, though Carla Gugino makes her first appearance a bit later on.

After the stellar Air Force One sequence, however, John Cena and Idris Elba are removed from the bulk of the other main characters, and that's when things get cooking. Without anyone else yapping in their ears, Will and Sam are forced to meet in the middle and work together, which is the foundation of any great buddy action movie. The movie never loses sight of that kinship, either, throughout all the other bone-breaking brawls, bullet-hell gunfights, and twisty plot machinations.

With its surprisingly deft blend of high-stakes action and light-hearted comedy that bumps against the PG-13 rating, Heads of State is 100% the kind of guilt-free popcorn-chomping good time that Amazon MGM should be making, and is definitely worthy of a trip to the theater, as opposed to streaming at home. President John Cena's biceps deserve to be seen on the biggest screen possible... because America.

If you're a wrestling fan, there's one upcoming Netflix show that should be at the top of your watchlist this summer. WWE: Unreal has promised to pull back the curtain on their creative process in a way we haven't seen before. We now finally know what the first five episodes will cover, and I already know the episode I'm skipping to when it drops.

While there's no shortage of interviews or wrestling documentaries that give fans an idea of how the WWE operates, nothing compares to the access granted by the company itself. Here's what we can reportedly expect when the series premieres its first batch of episodes, which will chronicle some of the most significant moments of the first half of the year.

What WWE: Unreal's First Five Episoides Will Cover

WWE: Unreal hinted at some of the things it would showcase in the first teaser released advertising it, but now we have some reported details on what to expect, thanks to Postwrestling.com. Take a look at what to expect in the first five episodes, which will be available with a Netflix subscription on July 29th:

• Episode 1: The First WWE Monday Night Raw on Netflix.
• Episode 2: 2025 Men's Royal Rumble
• Episode 3: WWE Women's Division Spotlight
• Episode 4: John Cena's Heel Turn At Elimination Chamber
• Episode 5: WrestleMania 41

It would be difficult for the WWE to do a behind-the-scenes episode of every episode of Monday Night Raw, SmackDown, or upcoming WWE PLE. As such, they had to narrow it down a bit, and there's one episode in particular I may just skip straight to because I cannot currently contain my excitement for it.

I'm Unbelievably Excited To See The John Cena Heel Turn Episode

John Cena's heel turn was shocking when it first happened, and while the appeal of the gimmick has somewhat waned for a lot of fans, I'm dying to see that episode in particular. Mainly because it hints the company will pull back the curtain on how it manages to keep some of the biggest secrets under wraps, in a company where news tends to leak out quite often.

The WWE's creative team doesn't always manage to sneak surprises past the various insiders who report on rumors and create dirt sheets for avid fans hungry for spoilers, but when they do, people are so excited. It's so rare for anything in the internet age to be a true surprise, and Cena's heel turn was one of those wild moments that had the fandom dying to know what was next.

One interesting note about this WWE: Unreal episode is that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will be providing commentary on this specific episode. I'm sure it was filmed before fans went after Johnson for not being a part of WrestleMania, which many felt impacted the storytelling of the main event. It'll be interesting to hear what he had to say about the heel turn, potentially knowing he had no intention of appearing at Mania to follow up on the reveal.

WWE: Unreal premieres its first five episodes on Netflix on July 29th. Tune in to see how the biggest creative stories from recent months came together, unless you're someone who would rather not have the magic spoiled.