Recent wrestling movies like The Wrestler and The Iron Claw have given WWE icon John Cena “hope” for the subgenre.
During an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Cena was asked for his take on wrestling movies by guest host Jeff Goldblum.
“I think movies about wrestling, they're a tough subject matter to tackle,” Cena said. “And I think movies like The Wrestler [and] The Iron Claw have done a really good job in telling the story of the individuals.
“It is such a larger-than-life thing. And there were so many memorable names. You gave me four that were marquee players in Pittsburgh, [The] Iron Claw is about four marquee players in Texas, [and] The Wrestler is a story about a marquee player who has passed his prime and what he is trying to do in collectively picking up the pieces of his own life. It's that ‘rockstar not being able to leave the stage' story,” Cena continued.
He continued by calling WWE a “treasure chest” of stories to adapt. Both The Wrestler and The Iron Claw give Cena “hope that “more stories can be told.”
What are The Wrestler and The Iron Claw?
The Wrestler is a 2008 movie starring Mickey Rourke as an out-of-their-prime wrestler. He continues wrestling due to the financial hardships in his life. Rourke and Marisa Tomei earned Oscar nominations for their performances.
The Iron Claw was written and directed by Sean Durkin and stars Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, and Harris Dickinson. It depicted the lives and careers of the vaunted Von Erich family. However, unlike The Wrestler, The Iron Claw did not receive any Oscar nominations.
John Cena's movie career
For over a decade, John Cena was the face of the WWE before going to Hollywood. He is a 16-time world champion for the promotion, earning almost every accomplishment imaginable. However, in recent years, he has begun acting more and performing in WWE on a part-time basis.
At the 2024 Money in the Bank PLE, Cena announced his in-ring retirement tour. Throughout 2025, Cena will participate in one last run throughout the world. After it concludes, he will hang up the jean shorts and ball caps.
Early in his career, Cena acted in WWE-produced movies like The Marine and 12 Rounds. Starting in the mid-2010s, Cena began acting in mainstream movies like Sisters and Trainwreck.
His big break came when he led the comedy movie Blockers. That same year, Cena starred in the Transformers spin-off Bumblebee. He subsequently landed roles in Playing with Fire, Dolittle, and F9.
2023 was another big year for Cena. He returned to the Fast and Furious franchise in Fast X before having a small role in Greta Gerwig's Barbie. From there, he starred in Hidden Strike, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem, Vacation Friends, and Freelance.
He has continued his hot streak into 2024. Cena opened the year by starring in Matthew Vaughn's Argylle before being seen in Ricky Stanicky. He is now promoting Jackpot! the latest movie from Paul Feig. Simu Liu and Awkwafina.
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