John Cena is in the final stretch of his WWE in-ring career, and that means he'll be able to focus on his acting career outside of the ring on a full-time basis. But that doesn't mean he hasn't given some thought to a little bit of synergy between his old life and his new one. In an exclusive interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub for his upcoming project What Drives You, Cena floated the idea of working with CM Punk — his former WWE rival, or perhaps his current one if Punk gets his wish — in a big-budget action-comedy movie. When asked which WWE superstar he’d most like to team up with in an action-comedy, Cena didn’t hesitate to name Punk.
The idea, according to Cena, lies in the dynamic between their distinct personalities and styles.
“I think the viewing public probably would get a kick out of… Usually, in the action-comedy space, it’s kind of oil and water, or two comedy styles that combat each other, and I don’t want to say ‘combat,’ but I think people would dig me and CM Punk together."
CM Punk and John Cena Have Quite a History
The idea of Punk and Cena in a movie together is a pretty compelling one, especially given their storied history together. Their rivalry produced some of the most memorable matches and promos in recent wrestling history, including the legendary Money in the Bank 2011 bout, where Punk defeated Cena in his hometown of Chicago to win the WWE Championship. They also had a classic in the last match between the pair back in February 2013, with Cena winning the match to earn a spot in the WWE Championship match against The Rock at WrestleMania 28.
Cena is, obviously, no stranger to working in action-comedies, so it's squarely in his wheelhouse, while Punk has also dabbled in acting, and returned to WWE in November 2023, almost 10 years after he left the company in acrimonious circumstances. In terms of personalities, they really are like chalk and cheese. Cena's in-ring persona is a lot more like Superman than Peacemaker, and Punk would always get a kick out of playing an anti-hero with darker edges, so if such a movie comes to fruition, it'll be one to watch.
What Drives Us debuts on Roku soon. Check out John Cena's final year with WWE on Netflix, streaming every Monday night.
Release Date January 11, 1993
Seasons 33
Producers Vince McMahon
Writers Daniel Truly , Paul Heyman , Patrice O'Neal , Virgil Runnels , Stephanie McMahon
Directors Kevin Dunn
English (US) ·