John Cenais quickly proving himself to beone of the funniest working actors in Hollywood today, with a slew of hilarious scenes from movies and TV shows across multiple genres. John Cena first became a household name thanks to his rise to prominence as the premiere face of Smackdown in the WWE. But the former wrestler has since made a graceful transition to acting without losing any of his muscly edge, only finally announcing plans toretire from the WWE in 2025.
The best instances ofJohn Cena’s comedy chops show off both his daring comedic timing and surprisingly impressive acting abilities. Whether he’s playing an over-the-top character like Peacemaker or a fictional version of himself, John Cena knows how to inhabit a role and completely steal a scene, delivering some dangerously funny original material with a straight face. John Cena’s skills in the comedy arena prove why he is one of thegreatest wrestlers to become an actor.
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10Peacemaker Goes To Show & Tell
Peacemaker
John Cena’s performance as Peacemaker in James Gunn’sThe Suicide Squadwas so strong that it granted the WWE superstar a solo spin-off show set inthe nascent DCU. Deservedly so,considering just what heights of comedy Cena was able to reach with limited screen timeas an incredibly obscure comic character. From the moment the intro credits ofPeacemakerrolled, it became clear that he was going to be able to consistently draw out such laughs throughout the series' run.
Perhaps the peak of comedy inPeacemakeris the eponymous vigilante’s appearance as a show and tell item at a local elementary school. From the colorful nicknames Peacemaker gives the children tohis ever-disrespectful descriptions of Justice League membersto the possibility that he might be one of the kids' long-lost biological father, the hilarity of this scene in particular is absolutely relentless. Props have to be given to John Cena for effortlessly delivering so many standout jokes.
9John Cena Impersonates Hulk Hogan
Maya & Marty
Maya Rudolph and Martin Short’s tragically short-lived variety showMaya & Martywas like a distillation of the greatest elements ofSaturday Night Live, as endorsed by the series' creator, Lorne Michales. Just as he did with the series' spiritual progenitor,John Cena blessed the little-known sketch comedy series with an appearance. The bit would emulate the infamousThe People vs. OJ Simpsonlimited series with a look at the then-breaking story of Hulk Hogan’s own contentious public lawsuit.
None other than John Cena himself plays Hogan, emulating his fellow WWE stars' trademark mannerisms and speech with haunting accuracy. But what really makes the sketch so funny is how wellCena is able to convey Hulk Hogan’s nervousnesswhile filtering it through the lens of his bombastic personality. The skit also makes no effort to soften the blows to Hogan’s ego, making for an explosive combination of acting skill and written material.
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8John Cena Calls Jackson A Troglodyte
Hannah Montana
Before he truly struck it big withthe best John Cena moviesin the mid-to-late 2010s and beyond,Cena was mostly stuck just playing a caricature of his wrestling persona on any television or movie gigs. Luckily for audiences, he still gave it his all in even the smallest of appearances, as demonstrated in an episode ofHannah Montanaof all things. Cena makes a surprise appearance in a B-plot featuring series regular Jackson slacking off on doing his book report for school in favor of reading wrestling magazines instead.
John Cena ends up leaping through the page, putting Jackson through the ringer with a variety of wrestling moves in an effort to make him see the wonder of reading.
Unfortunately for Jackson, John Cena ends up coming to life on one of the pages,chastising him for refusing to engage with literature and calling him a troglodyte. John Cena ends up leaping through the page, putting Jackson through the ringer with a variety of wrestling moves in an effort to make him see the wonder of reading. While John Cena’s famous “You can’t see me!” slogan might work in most cases, in this scene, Jackson certainly wishes he hadn’t.
7Ron Hits The Bottle This Time
Vacation Friends
Vacation Friendsis one of the most recent cinematic offerings from Cena that continues to prove that he has what it takes to carry one half of a buddy comedy. When Cena’s Ron and his wife Kayla meet up with the more sensible Marcus and Emily while on vacation, they cause a stir in their wedding plans with their wild, dangerous antics. The film’s scenes give John Cena plenty of moments to shine, but few are better than the beach scene.
After throwing back a few beers, Marcus and Ron find themselves with a couple of empty bottles to get rid of. Ron suggests using them for target practice, shooting a glass bottle clear off of Marcus' head.The acting on display from all four stars truly sells the terror and hilarity of the wanton danger, but the best moment has to be when Ron goads Marcus into trying it himself. Hard cut to Ron walking down the beach with a bloody bandage wrapped around his head, waiving off the bullet as only “grazing” him.
6John Cena Breaks Down Banana Science
Saturday Night Live
By 2016, John Cena had gained enough influence as a TV and film comedian to be offered a prestigious chance to hostSaturday Night Live.Of course, in doing so,Cena was obligated to star in a few sketches, the strongest of which took place at an Alabama college. Cena plays a clueless athlete presenting his final science project…a bunch of bananas nailed to a piece of plywood. Despite his lack of gifts in the field of science, Cena’s character, named Ray, refuses to continue playing football unless he gets an A+.
Admittedly, John Cena isn’t exactly playing against type here, hamming up the role of a brainless meathead he’s played in plenty of other projects. But it’s the earnestness with which he asserts that “Banana is a yellow snack that monkeys eat” that makes the skit so hilarious anyway, nevermind the other genuine scientific advancements of the non-athletic students that are waved away by the football fan judges. The way he goes point-by-point through the different “types” of bananas might just be one of the funniest moments onSaturday Night Liveof the decade.
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5Steven Makes A Scene At The Movies
Trainwreck
DespiteAmy Schumer’s contentious history with comedy movies,John Cena’s appearance in her 2015 filmTrainwreckmight have made it one of the most hilarious of her career. Cena stars in the film sparingly as Steven, the initial gym-addicted boyfriend of Schumer’s character before she moves on to the intellectual Dr. Conners, played by Bill Hader. While on a movie date, Steven and Amy find themselves in an argument with another couple, and things get heated quickly.
Unfortunately for Steven, he can’t seem to intimidate his fellow cinema patron without making things sound unintentionally sexual. Every threat he makes has hilariously erotic overtones, claiming “I will enter you!” and telling the hapless movie goer “You’re being an ***hole, and you know what I do to ***holes? I lick ‘em.” Cena’s delivery is matched by Keith Robinson’s slow turn from anger to confusion as his opponent, making for one of the film’s funniest scenes early on.
4Mitchell Enters A Butt Chugging Contest
Blockers
There’s something to be said for John Cena’s ability to deliver witty punchlines without missing a beat. But sometimes, simple slapstick that takes advantage of his muscled body and pain tolerance can be just as funny, even if it is a cruder brand of humor. One can look no further than 2018’sBlockersfor an example, which features Cena’s character,Mitchell, entering a butt-chugging contest against another father at a wild partyin order to find out where his daughter is.
Every uncomfortable squeak and groan that Cena lets out over the course of the contest adds to the unbelievable humor, made even more intense by lines like “I’m relaxed! I’m dilated!” Of course, it ends in disaster as well, with the shock of police arriving being enough to send Cena’s drink shooting back out through where it came. Though it may be crude, this scene is undoubtedly one of the most comical of John Cena’s entire career, proving that he’s willing to do anything to make audiences laugh.
3Pazuzu The Dealer Goes Through His Wares
Sisters
Another female-led comedy Cena starred in,Sisterswas another Tina Fey and Amy Poehler collaboration that centers around two estranged sisters that reconnect when their parents’ house is being sold, hosting one last lavish house party for old times' sake. Things get tense whenJohn Cena makes an appearance as Pazuzu the drug dealer, a hardened criminal. His tattoos, when combined with Cena’s physique, make for an intimidating presence, which only enhances the absurd dialogue.
Him being named after the demon from The Exorcist is just the icing on the cake.
Cena’s remarkably deadpan performance as Pazuzu as he lists the bizarre contents of his collection of drugs utterly steals the scene, the film making great use of the limited time with John Cena it does have. Him being named afterthe demon fromThe Exorcistis just the icing on the cake. Though it’s quite a different, more subtle brand of comedic acting compared to Cena’s usual efforts, his short but fondly-remembered time as Pazuzu shows off his dynamic range of hilarious delivery.
2John Cena Rescues The Scooby-Doo Gang
Scooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery
Not every John Cena scene is funny for the right reasons. Ever since a radio prank featuring his theme song went viral,John Cena has become something of a mythical meme, whose very presence is enough to illicit laughter in the terminally online. While Cena has, to his credit, leaned in to those who would find ironic humor in his very image, some of his earnest movie appearances are simply too unintentionally hilarious to separate from the memes.
By far the best shining example of this is in the animated filmScooby-Doo! WrestleMania Mystery, which stars Cena as himself. At one point, the Mystery Inc. gang find themselves about to be crushed by aRaiders of the Lost Ark-style boulder,only for John Cena, theme music blaring, to leap in and save the day. Out of context, this scene is one of the most hilarious usages of John Cena’s likeness ever, right down to Scooby-Doo calling him “Cena-mazing.”
1Peacemaker Out Shows-Off Bloodsport
The Suicide Squad
Besides being hilarious enough to get his own show, John Cena’s Peacemaker inThe Suicide Squadwas quietly menacing at the same time. No scene better exemplified both qualities than his killing contest with Bloodsport, as the two gun-wieldingmembers of the Suicide Squadexecute rebel militia members in increasingly convoluted ways. The physical comedy is on full-throttle here, with Peacemaker’s gruesome expressions and rude gestures while staying completely quiet so as not to alert any soldiers being comedy gold.
If that weren’t enough, the way Cena delivers lines like “Unless what you’re showing off is dope as f***” firmly cements him as one of the funniest comedic forces in all of Hollywood, let alone the individual film itself. The ultimate reveal that Peacemaker and Bloodsport had been unknowingly killing their allies the entire time is one final hilarious twist of the knife. It’s no wonderJohn Cena got the honor of heading the first live-action series of the DCUwith his performance as Peacemaker.
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