For more than fifteen years, John Cena has been a mainstay of the WWE Universe. In that time, wrestling fans have seen him champion his mantra of “Hustle, Loyalty, and Respect” from Monday Night Raw and Smackdown Live to Wrestlemania and everywhere else in between. However, just as many former WWE Champions have done before him, the leader of the Cenation has started to branch out into other universes as well. After appearing in a number of WWE-produced films over the years, Cena began to appear in comedies such as ‘Trainwreck’, ‘Sisters’, and ‘Daddy’s Home’. He then went on to voice the titular bull with a heart of gold in ‘Ferdinand’. And later this year, the 16-time World Champion can be seen in the upcoming ‘Transformers’ sequel/spinoff ‘Bumblebee’. But now it looks like he’ll be teaming with Nickelodeon to have an expanded presence on their network, including a role that pits him against four formidable foes in the form of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
In a recent video released on the network’s YouTube channel, Cena announced that he would be hosting the Kids’ Choice Awards once again. Additionally, he and his Hard Nocks South production company will produce an all-new competition series based on a UK format titled ‘Keep It Spotless’ that is somewhat reminiscent of ‘GUTS’, ‘Double Dare’, and ‘Wild and Crazy Kids’, except the object is to stay as clean as possible in order to win. But the biggest news here is that the WWE Superstar will finally be doing something that long-time fans have been clamoring for over a decade: John Cena is turning heel. Well actually, he’s lending his voice to a bad guy, so that’s kinda the same thing? Ok, not really, but he’ll still be voicing the newest villain on ‘Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ named Baron Draxum. An alchemist warrior mutant who seeks to turn all of humanity into mutants, Draxum will appear in the premiere episode of the series before recurring throughout the series.
With this role on the way, this makes Cena the latest in a long line of wrestlers to bring beloved Saturday Morning Cartoons to life. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Sgt. Slaughter have each taken their places in the ‘G.I. Joe’ franchise. Samoa Joe has just landed a part in ‘Transformers: Power of the Primes’ alongside Mark Hamill. The Celtic Warrior Sheamus also has roots with the Heroes in a Half Shell thanks to ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows’. And who can forget Hulk Hogan and a plethora of other WWE Legends in ‘Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling’? Well, probably non-wrestling fans born after the 1980s, but they should look it up!
What do you think about John Cena’s upcoming role in ‘Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’? Might we see Baron Draxum utilize Cena’s signature Attitude Adjustment against Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael? Share your thoughts and theories in the comments.
