CM Punk explains what makes John Cena and other WWE stars such great actors. After experiencing his biggest summer yet, with starring roles in F9 and The Suicide Squad, Cena has a busy slate ahead. He’ll return as the titular antihero in the HBO Max spinoff series Peacemaker, which premieres in 2022, and he’ll also appear in upcoming films such as the spy-focused ensemble Argylle and the political thriller The Independent.

While these roles indicate Cena’s desire to diversify his acting talents, the decorated WWE champion has gained a positive reputation for his comedic chops. He achieved his breakout in raunchy comedies like Trainwreck and Blockers, recently building on that trend by headlining Vacation Friends. Punk, who is regarded as Cena’s archnemesis, thanks to their unforgettable match at WWE’s Money in the Bank 2011, has a theory about what has helped his former rival stand out.

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In an interview with ET Canada to promote his role in the season 1 finale of the Starz wrestling drama Heels, Punk was asked about Cena’s success. In response, the AEW star said that he was impressed but not surprised by the fact that his former rival has made it big in Hollywood. While also pointing to the career of Dave Bautista, Punk noted that wrestlers greatly benefit from the fact that they become so skilled at improv. You can read the quote below.

“One hundred percent [I’m impressed], but I’m also not surprised. I think a lot of people conflate the two. You see a guy like Dave Bautista killing it with this myriad of different roles. Dave can do comedy, Dave can do drama, he can do it all. Cena has always been that funny guy. I always thought behind the scenes, and I think anybody who has worked with him always thought. A lot of the guys at that top-level in WWE may not want to admit it, but all we are are theatre actors. We’re doing live theatre every Monday, every Friday, Thursday, Tuesday, whatever the hell the schedule is now. All that is, is theatre. It gets you accustomed to improv and working on the fly.”

While it’s certainly not true of all professional wrestlers, there is something to be noticed about the wrestlers that have transitioned from the squared circle to the big screen. They’ve all been at the very top of WWE. Once that level is reached, a WWE superstar typically has to be extremely comfortable about delivering several long monologues a month in front of a packed arena. And that is perhaps uniquely true when it comes to Cena. His run at the top, which stretched for years, was controversial with live audiences and he had to learn and adjust depending on the crowd. Like what James Gunn has said in the past, and like Punk is saying now, Cena’s experience has allowed him to excel and to establish himself relatively quickly as a performer that’s sought after.

Due to the success of Dwayne Johnson, Bautista, and now Cena, wrestling fans are looking with keen interest to see who might be the next grappler to break out in big blockbusters. The Miz, currently competing on Dancing with the Stars, is one possibility. He’s made no secret of his desire to play Johnny Cage in a potential Mortal Kombat sequel. Punk, who has carved out a niche for himself in horror films, is another candidate. Both guys have been at the top of WWE and, quite possibly, they could enrich the next franchise that they join.

Source: ET Canada

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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi
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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019, focusing on movie and television news. In January of the same year, he wrote a 3500+ word piece on why Primo Colón is underrated. He considers it his finest work. When he’s not arguing for the merits of his favorite wrestler, he can be reached at: [email protected].

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