Dwayne Johnson will soon not be the only wrestling legend and actor to star in theFast and Furiousfranchise, as John Cena has officially been confirmed as a part of the cast ofFast & Furious 9. The confirmation comes after co-star Vin Diesel previously spoke about Cena’s involvement in the project back in April, so although the news is now official, it isn’t exactly a surprise. Not much has yet been revealed about the character Cena will play, but the character at this time is being described as a “badass.” If that’s all they’re looking for, Cena certainly fits that bill.
The franchise has definitely felt very differentfollowing the demise of series star Paul Walker, but with so much money to be made, the show must go on. Full details on the plot have not yet been released, though we know it will be the second of a new trilogy without Walker established by the previous movie. 2017’sThe Fate of the Furiouswas the last installment of the series to hit the big screen, andFast and Furious 10has been preemptively set for a 2021 release.
Wrestling fans have been familiar withJohn Cenafor almost two decades, dating back to his impressive WWE debut in 2000 which saw him face Olympic gold medalist Kurt Angle. By utilizing a rapper gimmick soon after, Cena rose to fame as one of the most popular performers in the company. He won his first world championship in 2005 by defeating John Bradshaw Layfield at WrestleMania, changing the design of the title by customizing it with a spinning faceplate. He would go on to become the top wrestler in the company for many years, winning a total of 16 world championships inWWE.
Cena is far from the first wrestler to break into Hollywood by starring in theatrical releases. Hulk Hogan used to appear in family comedies likeMr. NannyandSuburban Commandoback in the early ’90s, while “Rowdy” Roddy Piper was starring in horror flicks likeThey LiveandHell Comes to Frogtown. More recently, Dave “Batista” Bautista has become a big screen star in his own right, finding success in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Drax the Destroyer. Of course, no wrestler will ever have a better transition into acting than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who traded in his wrestling boots to become perhaps the most popular actor in Hollywood. It remains to be seen if Cena will one day come close to reaching these heights, but a prominent role inFast and Furious 9certainly puts him in the right direction.
So, it turns out we CAN see John Cena when the nextFast and Furiousmovie hits the big screen. Directed by Justin Lin and written by Daniel Casey,Fast and Furious 9is slated tohit theaters on August 25, 2025. In the meantime, fans can checkout the spin-off movieHobbs & Shawwith Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham when it premieres on August 2 of this year. With other planned sequels and spin-offs already in the works as well, there’s plenty to look forward to. This information comes to us fromDeadline.
