After failing to land a match at the “Showcase of the Immortals” following a series of Ls in key matches against Austin Theory and Solo Sikoa in 2023, John Cena still found a way to get into the action at WrestleMania 40, icing out the “Street Champ” before being put in his place by “The Great One,” The Rock, in his second-straight night of in-ring action.

A beautiful moment? For fans of professional wrestling, you bet, but it also signified something very interesting about the man who was once confidently called “The Face That Runs the Place:” that he is closer to the legends who assisted in the finish of Cody Rhodes' match than the active competitors who were competing for the WWE Championship.

Stopping by The Pat McAfee Show to discuss how his return came together and how many returns he has left before he calls it a career, Cena noted that, after hinting at his retirement for a while now, that day could be coming up fast.

“I've speculated a lot about when it is that I hang up the Jorts. It wasn't last night, and I still have a little bit of rubber left on the tires,” John Cena explained via Fightful. “When that time is done, that means it's gone. I'm actively trying to craft that path right now. I put a line in the sand for myself at 50. I honestly think it's going to be before that. I'll be 47 in a few weeks. Many are calling this the greatest WrestleMania ever. I agree, what a spectacle. That's because of the talent that actually put the time in. I showed up for 90 seconds. This is the greatest WrestleMania with or without my involvement. That's because of the now, the superstars we have now and their contributions to the business. It is going to be time for me to go. I'm embracing that, enjoying it, and it allows me to be present.”

So, with a pretty big slate of Hollywood commitments on his schedule, including season 2 of Peacemaker, when can fans expect to see Cena again? Well, with the rest of the year booked up, Cena hopes to use 2025 as his final big run in the WWE Universe, with that intention likely being very well choreographed for fans who want to enjoy the moment.

“[Hollywood commitments] will take me through just about Christmas,” Cena noted. “I'm crossing my fingers, toes, and heart so that maybe, just maybe, I can tell the Hollywood world to pump the brakes for a while and come back to my family for one last run. I hope, I don't know. I hope, I'm trying, we'll see what happens.”

Welp, there you go, folks; get your tickets for WrestleMania 41 when they become available, as it will probably mark John Cena's final match as a WWE Superstar… at least until he signs a legends contract and becomes the next Rock or Undertaker.

John Cena has been thinking about retirement for a while now.

Do John Cena's comments sound familiar? If you're a big WWE fan, they probably should, as he was similarly skeptical about a magical third act coming in the next few years and was instead gearing up for his retirement from WWE as a regular in-ring competitor a few months back when he was talking to Entertainment Tonight while promoting Argylle.

“That's not a maybe. That time is gonna come, and it's gonna come soon. I made a promise to the consumer early on, to WWE fans, 'cause I know how tough it is to be a fan,” John Cena told Entertainment Tonight. “You gotta come out of pocket — and WWE has a ton of content — it takes a lot to be a passionate fan, and our fanbase is passionate and global. I never wanted to go out there just for the sake of going out there. And I'm gonna be 47 this year. I feel great. So inside, I feel great, but I know what it takes to be a WWE performer night in and night out, and I don't ever wanna just go out there and do it to do it. I wanna have the passion — the same passion as the fanbase — and I wanna give them exactly what they give me. The miles on the speedometer say, ‘Hey, that's gotta be done before 50. That's the timeline I've put on myself.”

Discussing what it's like to be a WWE Superstar and a working actor, Cena noted that you really can't do both, as insurance won't allow active wrestlers to take Electric Chair Facebusters when they are on the poster for a $100 million movie.

“It's tough to juggle both because, you know, when you're filming Argylle, Matthew [Vaughn] won't let you go do anything else because of insurance,” Cena explained. “So as long as the phone keeps ringing and we've had some good opportunities here, I'll kind of preserve that for as long as I can. But even coming back for these one-at-a-time things or short three-month periods, it takes its toll more and more and I've just had an incredibly fortunate run with my health. I feel great. I just want to continue to feel great the rest of my life.”

After dominating WWE for decades, Cena has become a similarly effective mover and shaker in Hollywood, with the potential to transition from the top of one industry to the top of another already more or less accomplished. Still, good on “The Champ” for bringing it back around and giving fans one final run before he calls it a career; it's safe to say the wrestling faithful will appreciate it immensely.