These days, John Cena tends to pop up in almost everything. He was most recently on the big screen in Coyote vs. Acme and has an upcoming role in Matchbox: The Movie, but he has been known to show up in cameos in everything from Barbie to Superman. In the latter, he reprised his most famous role, which is as Peacemaker in the DC Universe. Cena debuted as Peacemaker in 2021’s The Suicide Squad before getting his own spin-off TV show. That likely wasn’t something anyone saw coming when they watched John Cena start his film career way back in 2006. It’s almost hard to believe that the former pro wrestler has been acting for 20 years and that it all started pretty humbly with a movie that almost nobody seems to remember. However, looking back at Cena’s film debut makes for an interesting preview of what he’s done on Peacemaker.
That big screen debut for John Cena came in 2006’s The Marine. It’s understandable that the film has been forgotten over the past 20 years, yet there are a few aspects about it that make it something all fans of the actor should go back and watch.
Technically, John Cena actually appeared in his first movie all the way back in 2000’s Ready to Rumble, a film about pro wrestling. However, since he was just an uncredited extra, The Marine marks his true entry into the world of acting. The Marine was overlooked upon release for a handful of reasons. First, it came from WWE Films and a lot of people who aren’t wrestling fans likely saw that and basically ignored the project. Second, the premise didn’t sound like anything worth going out of your way to see.
The Marine saw John Cena star as John Triton, a recently discharged Marine who seeks vengeance after a group of thieves kidnaps his wife. We have seen plenty of movies where one man goes on a spree to save his loved ones, so The Marine didn’t stand out. The poor reviews didn’t help its cause, as the film sits at a paltry 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It was considered overblown, and many say the best thing about it is that it’s “so bad, it’s almost good.” The end result was a meager box office intake and no lasting legacy.
It doesn’t seem like there’s any reason for someone to go back and watch The Marine outside of being a fan of John Cena, but that’s not quite entirely true. Fans of Peacemaker may want to get an early look at Cena sharing the screen with Robert Patrick. The actor is a legend for his performance in Terminator 2: Judgment Day and he marked the other big name in The Marine alongside Cena. Patrick portrayed Rome, the leader of the gang who kidnaps the protagonist’s wife.
This is fun to look back on because Robert Patrick and John Cena teamed up again for Peacemaker. Patrick played Auggie Smith, who is the father of Cena’s Christopher Smith. Alas, their relationship isn’t a loving one, as Auggie is an abusive father and the leader of a white supremacist gang. That puts the two on opposing sides again, so it’s worth watching them fight in The Marine before going down a more emotional path in Peacemaker. Even though one iteration is clearly superior, seeing their on-screen relationship evolve is captivating.
Anyone who goes back to watch The Marine needs to understand just how far John Cena has come as an actor. A lot of actors don’t deliver great performances in their debuts and Cena is among them. He has admitted that he wasn’t ready for the challenge, didn’t know much about making movies, and struggled to adapt from the world of WWE to the world of cinema. While all of that is true, The Marine also shows that Cena isn’t at his best when he’s playing a stoic action hero, which is why he was perfect for Peacemaker.
John Cena is a ridiculously charismatic and funny man. When looking at his worst roles, it’s typically when he’s a generic action hero, like in The Marine. When he’s at his best, he gets to showcase those comedic chops. A great example is that many were disappointed by him in F9: The Fast Saga, only for him to steal the show in Fast X when that same character got to test out his goofier elements. Peacemaker allows Cena to do what he does best, which is a combination of kicking butt and making the audience laugh.
