John Cena Says WWE's Future Will Be Less stable The Longer They Bet On Aging Prospects
John Cena recently spoke with Brian Truitt of USA Today to promote The Suicide Squad, which hits theaters in the United States and HBO Max this Thursday. Cena stars in the film as The Peacemaker.
It was noted how Cena has gleefully embraced a kind of revealing physical comedy in his movies, starting with his comedic sex scene in 2015's Trainwreck with Amy Schumer, and some of the scenes in the new Suicide Squad movie. Cena commented on how years of heckling WWE fans prepared him for those moments.
"There's two ways you can go when you're told you suck every day," Cena said. "You can wallow in that shame and believe that opinion, or you can look yourself in the mirror and realize you are enough. That (self-love) allows me to do things that are a little bit obscure in some sense, most of the time wearing very little clothing."
Cena recently returned to WWE for a run that includes RAW and SmackDown appearances, plus non-televised WWE Supershow live events. He will also challenge WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns later this month at SummerSlam. Despite the babyface reactions he's received since returning, Cena knows his role in WWE is more of a supporting act and a mentor figure these days, instead of a star player. Cena commented on the state of WWE, and said the longer the company continues to bet on aging prospects, it makes their future a little less stable.
"Man, I wish there was some sort of fountain of youth where I could be a full-time contributor," Cena said of his WWE status. "The longer they continue to bet on an aging prospect, that makes (WWE's) future a little bit less stable."
Cena is still maturing in his Hollywood career, learning from co-stars like Idris Elba. He noted that he is now in his "second chance at the movie business" after admittedly making "bad movies" in the 2000s, such as The Marine and 12 Rounds from WWE Studios.
"I used to chastise people for not working as efficiently as the WWE. And as a young man, I failed big," Cena said. "I was judgmental and I was apprehensive and I wanted to be back in the ring because I loved that immediate gratification."
It wasn't until Trainwreck and "a chance for me to be weird" that Cena discovered an appreciation for filmmaking. He added, "I'm very grateful that I was at least self-aware enough to know that I was really effing up big time."