John Cena is taking on another role following the success of HBO's Peacemaker, the acclaimed spin-off from 2021's The Suicide Squad. The professional wrestler and actor is set to star in Amazon Prime's upcoming action-comedy Officer Exchange.
Although Cena first started as a WWE star, he transitioned into acting in 2006 when he starred in The Marine alongside his Peacemaker co-star Robert Patrick. In the film, Cena portrayed a marine whose wife gets kidnapped and goes on a dangerous chase through North Carolina to retrieve her. Cena subsequently appeared in numerous films, including Trainwreck (2015), Ferdinand (2017), Blockers, Bumblebee (both 2018), and F9 (2021).
And his career continues to blossom. Per Deadline, the upcoming Amazon Prime project will see Cena reunite with executive producer Peter Safran and producer John Rickard, both of whom worked with Cena on Peacemaker. Officer Exchange, written by Ben Zazove and Evan Turner, will feature Cena in the role of Shepard "Shep," a cop who travels to India and teams up with a local police officer to hunt down diamond smugglers.
2022 has been a very busy year for Cena so far. Peacemaker became one of the most successful series of the year and a second season received the green light, something that Cena and creator James Gunn confirmed in February. In addition, Cena recently closed a deal to star as the main antagonist in the forthcoming live-action/CGI film from the Looney Tunes franchise Coyote vs. Acme. As the title suggests, the film will follow a human attorney who takes Wile E. Coyote as a client in a legal battle against Acme.
Another project in Cena's hectic schedule is the follow-up to the ninth installment in the Fast & Furious saga, which will come to an end with a two-part finale. The film will also welcome two newcomers to the franchise, Jason Momoa and Suicide Squad star Daniela Melchior. Momoa will play the villain, although further details regarding his and Melchior's characters remain under wraps.
All projects are currently in the works, with Fast & Furious 10 scheduled to debut on May 19, 2023. Coyote vs. Acme is currently filming in New Mexico and is expected to premiere in July 2023. Although neither Officer Exchange nor Peacemaker season 2 have an official release date yet, they are likely to join a 2023 slate along with multiple other projects, including DC's Blue Beetle.
Officer Exchange is developing at Amazon Studios.
Source: Deadline