Hollywood has seen plenty of wrestlers shift gears and move into the acting world over the years. Obviously Dwayne Johnson is one of the biggest (figuratively and literally) of the bunch, but he can't be everywhere at once. With that in mind, while Johnson is no longer starring in Universal's upcoming film, The Janson Directive, he has apparently found a perfect replacement in the form of Blockers star John Cena.
The news comes from Dwayne Johnson himself, who has stepped down from playing Paul Janson in Universal's The Janson Directive. Instead, John Cena has stepped in to fill the role, thus ensuring that the silver screen Janson remains suitably enormous. In the original book of the same name, Janson is an ex-Navy SEAL and security expert who finds himself forced to go on the run when a rescue mission fails. The film does not yet have a director attached to fully adapt the story (though Johnson does remain attached as an executive producer), but knowing that Cena will step in front of the camera goes a long way towards informing what the movie will look and feel like.
It will be interesting to see what John Cena brings to the table in The Janson Directive, as he has yet to pigeonhole himself in a single filmmaking style or genre. He has arguably become most well-known for his work in comedies like Trainwreck and Sisters, but he has also kept himself busy in the drama world, such as with his work on Doug Liman's The Wall. On top of that, he has several potential blockbusters on the horizon with Bumblebee as well as the upcoming Duke Nukem adaptation.
Of course, if you want to hear more of what Dwayne Johnson had to say about John Cena signing on for this project, then you can check out the wrestler-turned-actor's Instagram video announcing Cena's casting, below!
As Dwayne Johnson notes in that video, The Janson Directive is based on a novel of the same name by Robert Ludlum. Given the success that the Bourne franchise has experienced over the years, it's easy to assume that this, coupled with the involvement of big stars like Dwayne Johnson and John Cena, could make this an easy sell for mainstream audiences.
CinemaBlend will make sure to bring you all of the latest and greatest information as updates related to the project are made available to us. The potential franchise-starter does not have a set release date yet, but for now, you can head over to our movie premiere guide to see what major movies are set to debut in 2018!
