John Cena doesn't care if you can't see him | British GQ

With a starring role as the anti-superhero Peacemaker in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad and the namebearing spin-off series, John Cena is a ... SkiptomaincontentJohnCenaisnostrangertothebigscreen.Hisfirstrolecameway-back-whenin2006,asthemachoheroofWWEFilms'actionB-movieTheMarine,andhe'sappearedinaslewofhigh-profileHollywoodprojectssince,fromoff-pistecomedieslikeTrainwrecktotheblockbustersequelF9.ButJamesGunn'sTheSuicideSquadfeltlikefellowWWEalumniDaveBautista'sGuardiansoftheGalaxy,orDwayneJohnson'sFastFive:whichistosay,Cena'smoviestarmakingmoment. It'shardlyasurprisethatsomanyin-ringentertainershavesuccessfullytransitionedtoHollywood:wrestlingisanartequivalenttotheatricalmelodrama,asdemandingofdramaticacuityasitishulkingbicepsandwashboardabs.AndPeacemaker,sogaudyandludicrousastobeawrestlingpersona,makesforthe44-year-old'sperfectmatch.NowatthehelmofGunn'sTheSuicideSquadspin-offseries,Peacemaker,focusingonthetitularstar-spangledjingoist—whatotherpopularguise,exactly,mightthatremindyouof?—CenaspeakstoGQabouthistimeinthering,wearinghisPeacemakercostumeontheroad,andthedifferencesbetweenJohnCena,man,andJohnCena,persona.GQ:You’reoneofthemostpositiveandaffirmativepeopleIseeonTwitter.Itreallyseemstofollowyouroriginal,in-charactercatchphraseintheWWE:hustle,loyalty,respect.Howmuchofthatplaysintoyoureverydaylife?JohnCena:Imean,Iwouldconsidermyselfhardworking.Andgiventhisyearwillbemy20thanniversarywiththeWWE,Ithinkonecouldalsousetheword“committed,”or“loyal”.AndyouusethewordpositivetodescribemyTwitterpresence—Imean,wecouldgobackandforthanddiscussthatbecauseItalkaboutfailure,frustration,loss,andheartbreak.IthinkI’mjustlessargumentativethanalotoffolksoutthere.Ithink“respect”isalsoawordthatcandefinemyhumanpersonality,asmuchasthefictionalcreationthatbearsmybirthname.Ithinkthosearethreesafewordsthatyoucouldclumptogetherandsay,Hey,thisiswhoIamasahumanbeing.Icanimagineit’sbeenahelpfulmantratofollowinyourpursuitofHollywood.Well,thetermHollywoodhassuchamystiqueandlustrearoundit.Ifyou’reskilledatdoingonething,andthenyoutransitionintodoinganother—really,itsoundsthesame,butit’sacompletelydifferentthing.Ifyouhaveanychanceofsuccess,youhavetoreally,reallyprepareasmuchasyoucan.Andifyoufeelyoudon’thaveaheadstart,you’vejustgottoputrubbertotheroadandworkyourassoff.Sothat’skindofwhereI’mat,dippingmytoesbackintothescreensideofentertainmentratherthanliveevents.AndIrealiseI’vegotmyworktodo,andI’mjusttryingtoworkashardasIcantocatchuptoeverybodyelse.Doyouevermissthetouringlifestyleofwrestlingfull-time?Imissiteveryday.Everysingleday.ButI’llbe45onApril23rd,andIwasveryfortunatetomakeitaslongasIdidwithonlyaminorlistofinjuries.Nothingthathaschangedthetrajectoryofmylongtermhealth.I’mstrong,flexible,andinreallygoodshapeexternally,internally.Ithinknow,beingafull-timetouringperformermightstarttohitthatpointofdiminishingreturns,andIhavetoberealisticwhenIlookatthat. IwaswatchingsomeofyourearlierPeacemakerinterviewsbeforethis,andyouworethePeacemakercostumeduringyouron-cameraappearances,includingonJimmyFallon.Why?IstarteddoingthatwithTheSuicideSquad.Youknow,IlearnedveryearlyoninmyWWEcareerthatthegreatestcharacterswiththemostlong-termsuccess—wejustdroppedashowonPeacockcalledEvil,whichprofileseightofthetopWWEquote-unquote“heels”—andaconstantthreadinallofthatisdedicationtocharacter.Andthereason,like,there’stheperceptionofJohnCena,“Oh,heneverchanges”—yeah,Idon’t.Becauseit’stheconceptofuniformity.Andyouhavetofeellikeyouknowme.IntheWWE,youcouldn’tcatchmeatanappearancewithoutjeanshorts,sneakers,at-shirt,ballcap,andabunchofwristbands.Iwaseverywhereinthem.Andpeoplecometoknowthat’swhoyouare. Iwassodedicatedtoitthatmemecultureranwithit,inmultipledifferentvarieties:theinvisibleJohnCenameme,theunexpectedJohnCenameme.Andalotofthatisbasedonbeingsofamiliarwiththelook.SoinTheSuicideSquad,you’vegottwentytotwenty-fivecharacters,andIwantedtomakeminefamiliar.SoIaskedtodoallthepressinuniform,andtheycouldn’tbelievethat.ButIwantedtheaudiencetoknowwhoPeacemakerwasbeforetheysawPeacemaker.BynomeansamItryingtoscorerunwaypoints,Idon’thaveanystyleasidefromwearingasuitandtie,soyoumightaswellwearthecostumethatpeoplearegoingtoseeonscreenandhavesomefunwithit.MostPopularCultureHowAndrewTatebuiltanarmyoflonely,angrymenByAshSarkarCultureBBC'sSASRogueHeroesisPeakyBlindersmeetsBandofBrothersByBenAllenWatchesRyanReynoldsandIdrisElbaprovecoolwatchesdon'thavetocosttheworldByThorSvaboeAlotofpeoplesaythat,beforesuperheromoviesexplodedandbecamethegargantuanculturalphenomenatheyaretoday,wrestlersweretheoriginalscreensuperheroes.I100%agree,becausethey’reapersona.There’snotabetterexamplethansomeonewho’sbeinginductedintotheHallofFamethisyear,TheUndertaker.Heisjustnowbecomingahumanbeing,andpeopleareweirdedoutbyit.IrememberwhenIstartedgrowingmyhairout,Ididn’tknowhowtowearitorcutit,butpeoplesawmewithlongerhairandwouldbarragemeonsocialmedia—“youruinedmychildhood,Ican’tbelieveyou’redoingthis!”—I’mgrowingmyfuckin’hairout,whatlittleIhaveleft!I’mtryingtodosomethingalittledifferent,andIcan’tbecausethisiswhoyou’reusedto.Atthesametime,John,thefirsttimeyoumetTheUndertakerasMarkCallowaymust’vebeenajarringexperience.ButMarkbackstageisverymuchlikeTheUndertaker—like,that’showdedicatedheis.He’sverystoic,andverycalculated,anddoesspeaksoftlyandcarryabigstick,untillikenow.Twoyearsago,hestartedrelaxing,lettingloose,andhavingfun.Butthatroleconsumedhim.Andthat’swhatledtohislongtermsuccess,hisabilitytobelike:“ThisiswhoIam,thisiswhoI’mgonnabe,becauseitentertainspeople.AndItotallyhavegreatrespectforthat,andIknowI’mnotgonnahavethesameopportunitiestoliveinasenseofnormalcy,butI’malsogoingtohavegreatluxuriesandopportunitiesthatnormalcydoesn’tprovide.”Thinkespeciallyofentertainerslikeme,we’reJohnCena,RandyOrton,BrockLesnar,Batista— thoseareourrealnames.Sohowcanyoufeelyoudon’tknowthisguy?Becauseit’slike,it’smyname.Andsomanypeoplewillbelike,“Idon’tknowwhoI’mtalkingto,Ican’tevenseeyou,”becauseIspentfifteenyearswavingmyhandinfrontofmyface.Andthat’salltheyknow.Andthat’swhatthey’recomfortablewith.AndifIcan’tappreciatethat,ifIgetapprehensive,oraggressive,ormadthatthat’showtheyknowme,itruinsthatfantasy.Itruinsthatmoment.DoyoueverwishtherewasmoreofaseparationbetweenthecharacterofJohnCena,andtheperson? Notatall.Notatall.Iwentthroughmyphase,probablyin2010,11,12,whereIfelt“I’mahumanbeing,andI’mentitledtobeknownasmore…”ButIamsofarpastthat.Ihopethatinvisiblejokegoesonforanother100years.Idon’tcarehowmanytimesIgottawavemyhandacrossmyface.It’sgivenmeagreatlife.It’sallowedmetodowhatIdopassionately,andit’sallowedmetomeetwonderfulpeoplethroughouttheworld,it’sgivenmetheperspectiveIhave,andIwillnevergettiredofthat.AndifIreallywanttochangeperception,Ihavetotakecontrolofthat,IhavetocommittosomethingasmuchasIcommittothat.Tostartfromsquareone,andgoagain—Peacemaker’sbeenagreatvehicleforthat.WalkingthestreetsofBogotá,everybodysaid“Peacemaker”.Nobodywaswavingtheirhandintheirface.Howcoolisthat,tobeabletolivethatjourneytwice?It’sfuckin’unreal!PeacemakerisstreamingonSkyandNow.NOWREADNoonefromtheWWEisdoingitinHollywoodlikeJohnCenaEveryDCExtendedUniversemovieandTVshow,rankedJohnCena'scarcollectionmakesarightroyalrumbleKeywordsCultureTVFilmTopStoriesCultureFastXisthefirstpartofablockbusterswansongforVinDieselandCo.ByCultureEveryupcomingMarvelproject,fromBlackPanther:WakandaForevertoDaredevil:BornAgainByJackKingCultureMarvelhasfounditsBabyYodawithGuardiansoftheGalaxy3'sBabyRocketRaccoonByBenAllenCultureTopGun:MaverickcouldmakeTomCruisethebest-paidmoviestareverByJackKingCultureBradPittwaswrong–TroyslapsBySamMooreCultureWait…ConorMcGregorisgonnabeinamovie?WithJakeGyllenhaal?ByJackKingCultureIt'sofficial:LadyGagaisinJoker2ByJackKingFashionRobinWilliamshadthemosthypeyfitsinHollywoodeverByZakMaoui