John Cena Is Joining 'Suicide Squad 2' So He Can Finally Play A Superhero

After transforming himself from a pro-wrestling superstar into a big-screen actor, John Cena is finally about to play the role he was born for: a superhero. Cena will reportedly be entering the blockbuster superhero space for the upcoming Suicide Squad sequel, according to a new report from Variety. And along with the news that John Cena is joining Suicide Squad 2, there is also some convincing speculation about which iconic DC Comics character he will be playing.

The new Suicide Squad role will mark John Cena's first foray into the immensely popular superhero franchise genre. as a rising WWE star in the 2000s, Cena kickstarted an acting career by starring in a few action movies, but he surprised his fans in 2015 when he made the successful jump from action to big-budget comedies. In recent years, Cena has become best known for his comedic chops in hit movies like Trainwreck, Sisters, Daddy's Home, and Blockers. But it looks like Cena will still be taking on some new action roles, such as his recent lead role in Bumblebee and this Suicide Squad casting news.

Although John Cena's role in Suicide Squad 2 has not yet been officially revealed, there is reason to believe he will be bringing to life the DC Comics character Peacemaker. There have already been reports that Peacemaker will be introduced in the Suicide Squad sequel, and the Variety reporter that broke the John Cena casting news, Justin Kroll, tweeted that he believes Cena is being cast to play Peacemaker.

Apparently, director James Gunn had his Guardians of the Galaxy collaborator Dave Bautista in mind for the part of Peacemaker, but Bautista had to pass on the role due to scheduling. So now John Cena is being brought in to play the part.

In case you are not familiar, Peacemaker is a pretty complex character within DC Comics history. He was introduced in the comics as a pacifist diplomat who is so committed to creating and maintaining world peace that, hypocritically, he is driven to fight and kill for it. The comics later reveal that Peacemaker's senseless peace-through-violence philosophy is the byproduct of a mental illness, as he believes the spirits of the dead are haunting him.

So far, only a handful of the original Suicide Squad stars are confirmed to return for the sequel. Margot Robbie's Harley Quinn will return, after she stars in her own 2020 spinoff movie Birds of Prey. The rest of the returning stars are Joel Kinnaman as Col. Rick Flag, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, and Viola Davis as Amanda Waller. We also know that Will Smith will not be back to reprise his role of Deadshot. John Cena will not be the only newcomer to the franchise, though. Idris Elba is also joining the new Suicide Squad in an undisclosed role. Elba was originally reported to be taking over the part of Deadshot from Smith, but the studio later confirmed that Deadshot had actually been written out of the new movie.

The Suicide Squad sequel is scheduled to hit theaters on Aug. 6, 2021.