Just months after retiring from WWE after a loss against Gunther, John Cena has now announced his return to the promotion, but in a brand new role. In a new video posted on John Cena's social media handle, Cena opened up about his upcoming comeback.

WrestleMania 42 is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Apr. 18-19, 2026. While not appearing as an in-ring competitor, Cena will be returning this time as a host for the promotion's biggest annual show.

“Ah, retired, life in the sun. I’m kidding, check out the backdrop. I’m shooting a movie for Netflix called ‘One Attempt Remaining’ which you can see when it comes out,” Cena said. “I’m also on the road. Which is ironic because there’s a road to WrestleMania going on, and Hollywood is really close to Vegas. Rumor around this town is WrestleMania needs a host, well, I’m already on that road, so I will see you at WrestleMania.”

Last year at WrestleMania 41, a heel Cena faced and defeated Cody Rhodes after some help from Travis Scott to win his 17th world title. Not competing this year, Cena has gracefully accepted his new role as the host.

Similar to Cena, his rival AJ Styles also retired earlier this year at Royal Rumble 2026 and has now embraced his brand new role as a scout for WWE, about which he recently opened up in detail. Rumor has it that another one of Cena's rivals, Brock Lesnar, is also scheduled to hang up his boots and retire later this year, although there are currently no confirmations.