If you follow politics and pop-culture as much as wrestling (a safe assumption if you’re reading this site), you’re probably already aware of the GQ feature released several days ago, in which Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson admitted he’s considering a future run for President of the United States. The article by Caity Weaver is part of a cover-story and photoshoot featuring the WWE Superstar for the magazine’s annual comedy issue, and promoting his latest film Baywatch (as well as his HBO series Ballers and upcoming films like Jumanji).
But The Rock isn’t the only WWE talent getting his hands in both Hollywood and politics. It was recently announced that Sony Pictures’ TriStar and WWE Studios officially have a bio-pic of WWE head honcho Vince McMahon in the works, titled Pandemonium. Despite Vince’s spouse Linda McMahon (who currently holds a seat in WWE Hall of Famer Donald Trump’s Presidential cabinet) being quoted as saying she doubts the project “will ever see the light of day,” current WWE Superstar and “The Face Who Runs the Place” John Cena took a much more positive stance on the film in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. Like the Rock’s response to the question of running for office, he didn’t entirely rule out the possibility of playing such a highly-desired role:
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“That would be something I’d love to do, but I feel maybe a different actor should do that movie, just because of how powerful the story is, and I would hate for the audience to feel that it is a WWE-produced product. I can just tell you that it’s out there and that it’s awesome and man, if it were all different, I would certainly love to step into Vince’s shoes.”
And in many ways he already has. As his in-ring nickname implies, no talent better embodies the WWE product as a brand ambassador. Not just by appearing in comedy films like Trainwreck, Sisters, and Daddy’s Home, or guest-hosting The Today Show, The Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards, and Saturday Night Live, but also by taking a role in the company’s business dealings. Not just as a commissioner ‘character’ in storyline, but actually delivering a foreign press conference on the company’s growth into the Chinese market- in fluent Mandarin! Not to mention his broadly apolitical PSA campaign advocating for equality, diversity, and acceptance. To top it all off, he’s the all-time leader in granting Make-A-Wish wishes.
As SB Nation Cageside Seats writer Marc Normandin notes in his well-thought-out response to the President Dwayne Johnson question: “Rock is the sports entertainer of this or any other time. Cena inherited that mantle from him, and while his Hollywood footprint is much smaller to this point, it’s only growing, and he has the looks, charisma, and brain to succeed outside of the world of WWE.”
Politics is a business. So is Hollywood. They’re two of our biggest, but like pro wrestling, it all comes down to putting on a show and telling a story. Nobody knows that better than the top talents and owners of the WWE. The Rock, John Cena, Vince McMahon. Would we pay to see them slug it out in a superhero blockbuster? Absolutely. Would we turn out to vote in record numbers if they ran against each other for political office? You bet. But for John Cena, only the bounds of his determination and ambition (or perhaps in more familiar terms, “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect”) will decide what his future holds. According to the leader of “Cenation” himself, that Loyalty remains to the WWE Universe and its fans.
[H/T Cageside Seats / GQ Magazine / THR]
