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u/SimpleSink6563 1d ago
His reaction to the alternate Auggie saying he loves him was so good.
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u/blurringtonbee 1d ago
Oh my god and the random ear tickle from Auggie… John’s performance was incredible in this scene
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u/Part-time-Rusalka 1d ago
Holy shit Auggie made me so mad last season. What an absolute piece of shit. I felt sorry for the bullet that had to go through his brain.
But this scene! Auggie showed so much love for his family. How terrible it must've been to see this version of his father after flushing the shit his real dad was.
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u/ArcadianBlueRogue 14h ago
Waiting for some huge shoe to drop with that other world though lol.
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u/CamoLantern 1d ago
The fact that they got the T-1000 to play him is amazing. Perfect casting as he terrified me as a child and then he was a world class piece of shit in season 1 and now he is a big softie. Really looking forward to the DCU.
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u/Capt_Thunderbolt 1d ago
You should watch Sopranos. He shows up in season 2 for a pretty memorable arc. Totally different from any of these roles. He’s a great actor.
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u/Far-Industry-2603 1d ago
"It's just a stutter step". The Happy Wonderer is one of my favorite episodes of that season & of the whole show overall.
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u/Tight_Strawberry9846 21h ago
I was about to mention his acting in The Sopranos. So different from Terminator and Peacemaker. He's just a pathetic worm in it.
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u/Clamsadness 1d ago
His “I love you” to Keith too. Cena’s an actor now, he’s evolved well beyond the wrestler who sometimes does movies/TV that he started as.
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u/YourMuppetMethDealer 1d ago
When Chris prayed for Eagley to come back, he said that the only two people to ever truly love him were Keith and his faithful eagle.
Hearing both Keith and Auggie tell him they loved him so casually must have genuinely broke him. When Chris chooses to stay in this world, I am not sure anyone can really blame him
Shame it’s all certainly gonna go to shit
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u/Mr-Shockwave 1d ago
No lie, Cena has actually quickly become one of my favourite actors. What started it for me was his good performance in Bumblebee, and since then he’s only improved.
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u/Vitaminpartydrums 1d ago
He and Dave Buetista (sp?) really work at the craft and it shows. They want to be taken seriously.
Nothing against the Rock, but he’s just the Rock in every role I have seen him in.
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u/Cyno01 1d ago
Bautista is gonna be the first person with a WWE Championship and a best supporting Oscar.
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u/Rogzilla 1d ago
100%. John Cena might get there too one day but Bautista has so much range, it’s pretty incredible.
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u/WonderfulBlackberry9 1d ago
Cena was my one of my favourite things about my favourite Transformers movie
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u/fupafather 1d ago
John Cena is a good balance between legitimate actor and action movie meat head.
Dwayne Johnson could never.
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u/chowchan 1d ago
Dwayne Johnson
Old DJ could, gridiron gang, tooth fairy (lol), the rundown, walking tall . He showed decent range in these.
Its when he started opting for the big unstoppable action hero roles, he kinda fell into the same way of acting (which I guess you can't really blame since that's what brings him the most money).
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u/ThrowStonesonTV 1d ago
In Be Cool Dwayne played a gay guy, it was actual acting that looked like it would be outside his comfort zone that I haven't seen him do since that movie.
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u/jossief1 1d ago
I had no idea there was a sequel to Get Shorty.
That said, I haven't thought about Get Shorty for a couple decades
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u/Nyrrix_ 1d ago
Patrick H Willems has a video on how Johnson and Ryan Reynolds have essentially forgone their past character actor days in favor of a very specific type of role in order to maintain squeaky clean brand images. It's an interesting watch and really dives into how a career evolves.
Cena and Bautista took the complete opposite path. Really shows how differing people with some really similar backgrounds can progress.
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u/JuliousBatman 1d ago
The Rundown is fucking hilarious.
“A little lightning…. Oh, here’s a little thunder, too. Lightning, thunder, lightning thunder!”
And the capoeira guy beating the shit out of Dwayne.
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u/SealTeamEH 1d ago
Also has one of my favorite action scenes ever when he’s fighting the soldiers in the jungle and they’re swinging across the vines to attack him and stuff, man I forgot how much I loved that movie lol
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u/Ijustwerkhere 1d ago
He had an almost backwards career trajectory. A lot of the time, these big meat head guys do a bunch of action movies then segue into family films or more serious dramatic roles. He started with solid if not remarkable acting performances in Walking Tall, Gridiron Gang, The Gameplan, and such. Now he’s just doing meat head, never lose, action star roles
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u/Immediate-Title209 1d ago
he was fucking incredible in the build to Wrestlemania 40 as well, as the trash talking monster that Cody had to overcome. I dont know why he doesn't tap in to his skill more often.
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u/iammufusasboy 22h ago
Johnson can absolutely act, but his "acting" roles don't make him as much money. The rundown is still my favorite movie of his, comical, act packed and Rosario Dawson. Nuff said.
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u/Shoe_boooo 1d ago
It's ironic his name is The Rock given how freaking soft his ego is. Just a bad actor with a huge amount of money
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u/Specific-Chemistry33 1d ago
It’s also accurate though since he has the acting range of a common river stone
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u/LumpyJones 1d ago
But have you seen him wear a khaki shirt in a jungle scene? No one can nail that like him.
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u/Wendigo15 1d ago
Brennan Fraser in the mummy movies
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u/LumpyJones 1d ago
Ok, but those movies are almost unfair to bring into the conversation. Nearly every single person in those movies is so unbelievably attractive. It's quite possibly the greatest "Wait, am I bi?" triggering event of a generation.
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u/highlorestat 1d ago
Some of us were watching the Phantom Menace as children around that time, The Mummy was too scary...😮💨
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u/PrairiePilot 1d ago
One of the few movie posters that would really make you pause and say “damn!” Those movies were so horned up too, all the ads and music vide tie ins were like: Egypt fucks in the 1920s!
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u/SpaceCaboose 1d ago
Hey, don’t speak so unkindly of a common river stones acting ability. It’s leagues better than The Rock’s
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u/mlavan 1d ago
he's not a bad actor per se. after fast 5 he just got lazy and super egotistical. i hope for his sake this new benny safdie movie works otherwise he'll just have to stick to wwe for the rest of his career.
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u/Shoe_boooo 1d ago
He's got like a billion dollars to his name, he's never stepping a foot in that ring. He'll be off doing random celebrity bullshit like Oprah
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u/Sins_of_God 1d ago
We will see if Dwayne can in that ufc biopic movie
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u/Jokonaught 1d ago
He absolutely can do a solid job, although probably not as good as Cena or Bautista because you can't just skip the actual work and get the same results.
The Rock's "problem" is that he's almost always been more concerned with being "the man" than being an actor. He's got range, he just never bothered to develop it.
He chose to chase the bag over chasing respect, and he definitely got that bag.
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u/msfamf 1d ago edited 1d ago
He's got range, he just never bothered to develop it.
Those brief glimpses at his range are peek at what could have been. The courtroom scene in Walking Tall comes to mind almost immediately. Southland Tales has a few moments where he showed promise too as strange of a movie as it is.
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u/SPEK2120 1d ago
Yeah, he lost me with Black Adam. Solid casting, but his ego made too many decisions on that movie. He put himself way over the character.
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u/Hayterfan 1d ago
I expect Dwayne will end every loss in the film, looking like he barely broke a sweat. Meanwhile, the victor will look like they just got hit by a car.
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u/Kelnozz 1d ago
Also Batista is another example of a wrestler turned good actor, people know him mainly from Guardians of the Galaxy but he has some decent range in other films he’s in.
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u/monkeygoneape 1d ago
Even though he had a small part, he was great in Bladerunner 2049
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u/No_Independent8195 1d ago edited 1d ago
He fucking floored me in that movie. He did so much with the little he had.
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u/monkeygoneape 1d ago
You mean so much with the little he had right?
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u/No_Independent8195 1d ago
I absolutely fucking meant that. I am stupid. Thank you for pointing that out. I wrote that in the morning. That was embarrassing, please take an upvote.
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u/Advanced_Section891 1d ago
John Cena is humble enough to put his ego to the side. Dwyane unfortunately is not. There was a time when I think Dwayne was, but as soon he got big in Hollywood his ego took over.
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u/Corgi_Koala 1d ago
I think the fact that he's willing to tackle roles that require something other than being invincible stoic badass makes him way more interesting to watch.
I'm not saying he's going to win an Oscar anytime soon, but he's got a lot of range and he's willing to be goofy and silly and do things other than punch people.
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u/watch_out_4_snakes 1d ago
He’s also getting better as an actor at a good rate. Hope he continues and we see him reach his full potential.
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u/Ok_Relationship1599 1d ago
I don’t think Cenas an action movie meathead at all. He’s good at playing that type of character but unlike the Rock that’s not the only kind of character he can play. Rock always wants to look cool and badass but Cenas okay with being vulnerable and making a fool of himself on camera. John Cena is an actor, the rock is a brand used to fuel the ego of Dwayne Johnson.
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u/Clamsadness 1d ago
Seriously, the only two former wrestlers worth being in the conversation as actual actors are Cena and Bautista.
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u/ElbowSkinCellarWall 23h ago
Why can't people like John Cena without trashing The Rock?
I have no particular affection for The Rock but the Reddit campaign against him seems overblown, intentional, and coordinated.
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u/NecessaryUnusual2059 1d ago
I hate how everyone always compares him to the Rock every time they mention how he’s a good actor.
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u/HeavenHasTrampolines 1d ago edited 1d ago
All I knew of Cena pre-Suicide Squad was the prank phone call stuff and I knew he was a wrestler. I didn’t expect much from him as an actor, or, with the Peacemaker series.
Well, I’ve changed. I think he’s hilarious, has decent acting chops generally but he’s perfect as Peacemaker. I mean, he fucking shines as Peacemaker.
He is a gem. He’s also perfect combined with Gunn’s writing and dialogue/humor.
Edit: Came across this just now on r/mademesmile, and it totally made me smile. Cena is amazing for this: https://www.reddit.com/r/MadeMeSmile/s/Kel4YapRqg
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u/Dangercules138 1d ago
I absolutely loved him in Ricky Stanicky. That movie only worked because he was so fun. He's smart to stay within his range but his range is distinctly getting wider.
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u/HeavenHasTrampolines 1d ago
Dude! I totally forgot about this movie. Well, I’m now excited to see it. Thanks for the reminder, brother.
Update: It’s streaming on Amazon Prime for anyone else looking for something to watch.
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u/Phineasfool 1d ago
Thanks, might check it out on my next day off. Keep hearing he's good in it.
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u/Muskratjack 1d ago
I don't know what i was expecting going into it, but I found it to be one of those movies I'll be rewatching again and again down the road. Might actually even buy a copy for my physical collection
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u/CamoLantern 1d ago
I can't stand Amy Schumer, but go watch Trainwreck. John Cena and Bill Hader are are the best parts of that movie.
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u/notafanofapps33 1d ago
I’m glad someone finally brought this up. I think this was the first time I ever saw him in a movie and for a wrestler he did well. Maybe the rest were too young to see it when it premiered.
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u/No_Independent8195 1d ago
What's hilarious about that movie is that Cena was essentially playing another wrestler who Amy had dated. Guy's name was Dolph Ziggler and Amy broke up with him because he was too "athletic" at sex.
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u/Danyul4u 1d ago
Guys how are we forgetting his best role as Fred’s imaginary dad in the Fred movie
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u/RealJohnGillman 1d ago edited 1d ago
He popped up at the end of the first Psych film teasing a role in the sequels, but has yet to return for any of them.
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u/Toukafan4life 1d ago
I remember being Cynical about casting John Cena in Bumblebee. Before that he was just the "Ha ha wwe invisible guy, very funny" to me.
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u/whatproblems 1d ago
he was on an episode of JOLLY on youtube and he’s with idris elba and they do american and english breakfasts and he’s hilarious stole the show
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u/Clamsadness 1d ago
John Cena makes it almost impossible to like the Rock. Just seeing his evolution from wrestler to decent comedic actor to legitimate dramatic acting chops has been awesome.
It’s the vulnerability. Chris/Peacemaker is only likable because of the vulnerability and that’s where Cena shines.
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u/The_Celtic_Chemist 1d ago
I mainly watch high-rated TV and with so many shows I have found myself somewhat emotionally disconnected from characters, the situations, and the stakes recently. But this episode actually evoked a surprising amount of emotion. Perhaps it's because it really captured a feeling of being disconnected, but it also does a great job of capturing a state of being that I think is very common but I can't think of a single word for. Like a combination of aimlessness, ennui, alienation, and an overall lack of purpose and dissatisfaction with your current undesirable situation. But this scene in particular got me because it really had me imagining how complicated it would feel to see a brother you never got to see grow up and a dad who never cared about you suddenly come back to life and be the people you never knew them to be but always needed, and then also understanding this isn't where you belong and that it won't last. It would probably feel a bit melancholic, like a good dream you knew was only a dream.
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u/BplusHuman 1d ago
Cena and Bautista both converted really well into acting. This sub is habitually grouchy, but Peacemaker tells such a strong story, it's fun to see folks along for the ride
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u/advester 1d ago
Is Gunn a big fan of wrestling or what?
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u/BplusHuman 1d ago
I think it's fair to say that wrestlers are already actors (and stunt pros). That said, I'd imagine that plenty of wrestlers are doing auditions and some are probably even getting roles in lower profile projects.
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u/straydog1980 1d ago
You always need a random gigantic big guy who can somewhat act and also move, which is also why bodybuilders and strongmen don't cross over.
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u/B_Bowers13 1d ago
John isn’t afraid to have egg on his face. That’s what going to allow him to get better roles that have more range. He’s an extremely hard worker with talent to match. I’m rooting for him as I’ve been for 20 years now
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u/Dangercules138 1d ago
I want to like John Cena as an actor because the man himself seems very genuine and likeable. I didnt expect itd be so easy since he's generally very fun in almost every role he does.
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u/Akschadt 1d ago
For me he has pretty quickly gone from “…ah John cena is in this” to “alright! John cena has a new movie! Time to watch”
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u/blueboxreddress 1d ago
He filmed a pro LGBTQ commercial where I live and a friend was in it. They said he was genuinely one of the nicest people they’d met.
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u/Don_Kehote 1d ago
Was it THIS one? I still look it up from time to time, as it gives me a little bit of hope that we can all come back from this mess we've created collectively.
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u/Part-time-Rusalka 1d ago
I want to live in that world! I've never seen this before but its so fucking beautiful. When he told us to close out eyes I did. And I didn't picture the "average American" closer to reality. I'm glad I closed my eyes because this shit made me cry for what we could have.
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u/ApexThinker1001 1d ago
It’s clear that his job as peacemaker has really brought to light not only how good of an actor he has become, but how cool of a person he seems to be. This guy has actually worked hard to get to where he is by improving little by little
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u/TheShowstoppaNT 1d ago
Cena should not be as good as he is. He doesn’t take himself seriously in most of his movies and that’s why I love him. Jackpot? Best movie he’s been in. I absolutely love it.
The fact that people are now saying he’s legit because of one episode of Peacemaker makes me happy.
Bautista cried when he got the role of Drax. He worked so hard for it and now he’s going for broke. Cena is in that same boat. They’re both becoming more legitimate than Dwayne ever was.
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u/No_Temporary2732 22h ago
Cena and Bautista actually caring about the craft is my favorite thing
A stone faced guy can learn a thing a thing or two instead of hierarchy
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u/DefinitionInternal30 1d ago
The Suicide Squad really made me take notice of John Cena as more than a guy who plays comedy-meathead characters. Peacemaker season 1 made me realize he has range and can play a good, serious character. I'd say he's probably the 2nd best wrestler turned actor after Batista. It's awesome to see him flourishing with his acting career.
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u/TheMoorNextDoor 1d ago
Crazy that now you can legitimately say Bautista and Cena who were once at the top of the wrestling world are two of the best wrestler actors ever. And it seems it’ll be that way for the foreseeable future.
Frankly Bautista will likely get a nomination in the near future, that man is that good. His role in Blade Runner 2049 was brilliant, short, but left one of the biggest impressions.
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u/No_Independent8195 1d ago
This is why I like John Cena as an actor. The guy is willing to make himself look weak and seems to have a trusted leader in James Gunn. The guy is utilising Cena to his full potential which I don't think WWE ever did which is why I hated SuperCena. Heroes need a moment to be broken down.
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u/wwsdd14 1d ago
John Cena is honestly one of my favourite actors at this point, it's so clear he just fucking loves his job, him showing up to every interview and press event in the outfit and messing about is amazing. You can tell he doesn't let ego or his perceived identity get in the way of his acting.
Plus he's a really good role model, I can admit I look up to him quite a bit he's the perfect example of what it means to be a 'man'.
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u/Pure-Manufacturer532 1d ago
Bi sexual addict superhero who struggles with loneliness, trauma and reality of their actions is so fucking cool to see.
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u/Moon_Beans1 1d ago
For like a decade people shrugged and gave the Rock a pass because there was an assumption that he was the best you could expect from a pro-wrestler.
Then Dave Bautista and John Cena showed up and that excuse melted away.
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u/shadowlarvitar 1d ago
He's miles better than Dwayne Johnson😂
I always liked Bautista as I didn't even know he was a wrestler, but when Cena initially got casted I rolled my eyes thinking he was going to be another The Rock. I sure wasn't expecting him to be my favorite character in the DCEU and one of my favorites in the current DCU. I hope Peacemaker sticks around
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u/YaButtIsDaBomb69 1d ago
James Gunn is an underrated director. He gets great performances out of actors in the last place you look. End of The Suicide Squad with Ratcatcher 2 and the story about her dad then the ending with Starro and if it wasn’t for her dad who was seen as a drug addicted criminal who was thrown away by society creating the wand that could have been a much worse ending for those people and yeah when the music started to swell I got several tears in my eyes.
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u/louise-shit-at-work 1d ago
Love John Cena. Love Peacemaker. He was great in season 1 and many other things for a good few years, he was already good, didn't need to improve and I don't think Peacemaker and working with James Gunn made him improve, he was already that good. But thanks James, for yet another self congratulatory comment.
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u/Ozymanadidas 1d ago
Cena and Bautista are real actors because they can be vulnerable. Dwayne "The Thumb" Johnson has tired out audiences with the same old shtick. He wanted to be the next Schwarzenegger but comes off as a Segal.
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u/realfakejames 1d ago
People still try to put Cena behind The Rock and Bautista as an actor, Bautista has his wheelhouse he sticks to and Dwayne has one thing he’s good at, Cena is actually way more diverse than either of them
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u/CASHMO2112 1d ago
Very impressed with Cena’s acting chops this season!! I think he’s a much better actor than The Rock
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u/WakandanTendencies 1d ago
The Marine is one of the worst films I have ever seen. It was absolutely fucking trash. This feels like the fully realized redemption arc of him as an actor. He was absolutely delightful in Ricky Stanicky and has made Peacemaker into a fun must have character. He has surpassed the Rock in ability and range when 20 years ago that seemed impossible
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u/Reversion603 1d ago
John Cena is a gem
So reddit keeps reminding me a suspicious amount. Peacemaker season 2 is out now on quibi plus, watch episode one today! It's out right now in Paramount plus I fucking love John Cena so much! Almost as much as John Cena loves humanity! Peacemaker season 2 is the best episode of superhero ever filmed for the big screen. Wow John Cena thank you sir, I salute you my friend!
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u/kirk_dozier 1d ago
whats with all the cena shit lately? "john cena on how he likes his coffee" "john cena makes a reporter feel seen" "john cena is such a great actor" all in the past two days
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u/gerbegerger 1d ago
Well, he was invisible for decades and techology is finally progressed enough for us to see him on screen. Of course people are bewildered 😄
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u/WASD_click 1d ago
That's a misconception. We still can't see him, but CGI has progressed so much that they can add a realistic character model for us to look at in real time.
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u/ro_thunder 1d ago
Well, his show just debuted the season 2 premiere episode, and he was in a pretty dang good movie with Idris Elba over the summer that was very well received, so ya know, I think some "John Cena" news is fairly timely and appropriate.
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u/kentatsutheslasher 1d ago
Peacemaker turned me into a full-on Cena fan. Guy went from "you can’t see me" to "you can’t ignore this performance" 💯