John Cena was the face of WWE for more than a decade, and he remains widely associated with the company, even as he continues to successfully venture into the world of Hollywood.
Both his famous “You Can’t See Me” taunt and “The Time is Now” theme have become parts of pop culture, even among non-wrestling fans, but now Cena is starting to break away from his strict association with his on-screen character with WWE.
During an interview with GQ , when asked about whether he wishes his character and his real self were more separate, Cena pointed to the success of his popular Peacemaker series and noted that its success has helped him change the way people think about him. He described how he’s seen the way fans will say “Peacemaker” when he walks around, rather than mimicking his classic WWE taunt. The former world champion also emphasized his gratitude for his wrestling career.
“Not at all,” said Cena. “Not at all. I went through my phase, probably in 2010, 11, 12, where I felt “I’m a human being, and I’m entitled to be known as more…” But I am so far past that. I hope that invisible joke goes on for another 100 years. I don’t care how many times I gotta wave my hand across my face. It’s given me a great life. It’s allowed me to do what I do passionately, and it’s allowed me to meet wonderful people throughout the world, it’s given me the perspective I have, and I will never get tired of that.
“And if I really want to change perception, I have to take control of that, I have to commit to something as much as I commit to that. To start from square one, and go again — Peacemaker’s been a great vehicle for that. Walking the streets of Bogotá, everybody said “Peacemaker”. Nobody was waving their hand in their face. How cool is that, to be able to live that journey twice? It’s f—–’ unreal!”
Cena brought the relatively obscure DC Comics character to life and helped turn him into a huge hit. For the former WWE Champion, being a larger-than-life character in a costume was quite familiar, albeit in a different context. When asked about the similarities between superheroes and professional wrestlers, Cena agreed that the two are quite similar. He then spotlighted The Undertaker as someone’s shedding his status as a character and “becoming” a person outside of the role he played for 30 years.
“I 100% agree because they’re a persona,” said Cena. “There’s not a better example than someone who’s being inducted into the Hall of Fame this year, The Undertaker. He is just now becoming a human being, and people are weirded out by it. I remember when I started growing my hair out, I didn’t know how to wear it or cut it, but people saw me with longer hair and would barrage me on social media — “you ruined my childhood, I can’t believe you’re doing this!” — I’m growing my f—–‘ hair out, what little I have left! I’m trying to do something a little different, and I can’t because this is who you’re used to.”
Cena recently described how he misses wrestling, but he has to be realistic about his career at this stage. His comments are available here.
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