When John Cena took a crushing loss to Solo Sikoa at Crown Jewel in Saudi Arabia, finding himself on the wrong end of about a dozen Samoan Spikes before being pinned in the middle of the ring for the 1-2-3, it felt like a pretty definitive moment in the career of “The Face That Runs the Place.”

After a fantastically nostalgic Fall run spurned on by the actors' strike that saw Cena become friends with LA Knight and secure a win over The Bloodline, Cena bowed out to return to the responsibilities of Hollywood in early November and hasn't been seen since save a short holiday video for WWE social media.

So what gives? Is Cena done? Will he return for one final run that culminates in a retirement match? Or will he continue to kick the can down the road and remain a part-timer for the foreseeable future, as WWE will likely always employ him on one contract or another due to everything he's done for the promotion?

Sitting down with People to talk ahead of his new movie Argylle, Cena was asked about his WWE future and let it be known that he's been “plotting his exit strategy” for a few years now, even if he doesn't know exactly how or when things will end just yet.

“I turned 47 this past year, and I don't have much time left in the WWE. You know, I'm trying to figure out when to close that chapter. I wouldn't be who I am — professionally or personally — without the WWE, and I promised myself that I would never simply just be there for my own sake. Every time I perform, I want to give my all to the audience. And I've got to admit, when I hit the 45 mark, I had to begin to try to form an exit strategy, and I'm trying to work on that currently,” John Cena told People.

“I just want to do what's best for the company. If it's a big final match or if it's just a final match, or however I can be integrated into the product to let everyone know that this chapter is over, I'm willing to listen to what WWE has to say.”

Remaining in his retrospective feelings, Cena let it be known that even though he's approaching the end of his career, he's incredibly proud of everything he's accomplished over the past 20 years and is happy that he found something new to sink his teeth into now that his in-ring efforts are nearing their end.

“When you have a certain amount of fluency, and you're fortunate enough to have a long career in something like wrestling, and you gain that, I guess, you'd say, 10,000 hours of mastery, it is tough to step away because you've invested so much of yourself in it,” Cena noted. “Most athletes' careers last three-to-five years. We're talking 20 years here for me. So, you've got to ask yourself, like, what else do I know? What else do I want to pursue? What else am I curious about? I have been fortunate to be able to open up a whole new Pandora's box of curiosity and things that I'm interested in.”

Will it be weird when Cena's wrestling days are done? Yes, after being the face of WWE for two decades, his exit will truly feel like the end of an era, even if he hasn't been around nearly as often over the past few years. Then again, in the professional wrestling ring, Father Time is undefeated, and like Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and “Stone Cold' Steve Austin before him, eventually, he'll have to say goodbye.

Randy Orton would love to wrestle John Cena at WrestleMania.

If John Cena does want to close out his WWE career on a high note, he'd have to find a foe for the ages who not only shares some history but could also put together an unforgettable match that lives on forever in the hearts and imaginations of fans around the world.

One option? Cena versus his fellow OVW alumni Randy Orton, who, in an interview with Kayla Braxton on The Bump, actually pitched a dream match against  “The Champ” at a future WrestleMania.

“A dream match for me would be to somehow find myself in a situation where I'm fighting Cena at WrestleMania for the title,” Randy Orton told Kayla Braxton via Fightful. “I don't know how you get there, I'm not saying it's gonna happen. But I have never wrestled John at WrestleMania in a singles match. We had some wars back in the day, so being able to revisit that after all this, I think it's not only something that I would want, I think the fans would eat it up too.”

Logistically speaking, how would WWE get to a match between Orton and Cena with the WWE Championship on the line? Honestly, it's hard to know, but frankly, does it really matter? If Cena can put that belt around his waist, becoming the sole record holder for the most world championship wins in the promotion's history and then get retired by Orton in the main event, it would arguably go down as one of the greatest moments in WWE history. Book it, Triple H.