The Suicide Squad: James Gunn Says John Cena’s Character Will Make Fans Freak Out

Although we’re still a ways away from its release, DC fans are already pretty excited to see The Suicide Squad. The upcoming live-action film, which will be written and directed by James Gunn, will bring to life an entirely new take on the group of antiheroes, with the help of a star-studded cast. A lot of the roles in the film are currently kept under wraps, including the character that will be played by actor and wrestling icon John Cena. But according to Gunn, fans will be pretty over-the-moon once they eventually find out who Cena is playing. Gunn recently responded to a fan’s tweet suggesting characters that Cena could be portraying, including Bane, Deathstroke, KGBeast, and Solomon Grundy. Gunn responded by teasing that fans will “freak out” about how “amazing” Cena’s portrayal of his character is.

Interestingly, the initial tweet didn’t include one of the most popular theories surrounding Cena’s role in the film, which is that he will be playing the super-soldier Peacemaker. It remains to be seen whether or not that will end up being the case, as Cena has been pretty vague about the project.

“I can’t confirm or deny anything about Suicide Squad,” Cena said in an interview this past January. “I can tell you I’m right in the middle of filming it. The DC people are always watching.”

“I do believe the Internet has also pronounced me dead on seven or eight occasions,” Cena added. “Not everything you see is true.”

Joining Cena in The Suicide Squad are Viola Davis as Amanda Waller, Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn, Jai Courtney as Captain Boomerang, Joel Kinnaman as Rick Flagg, David Dastmalchian as Polka-Dot Man, Steve Agee as King Shark, and Daniela Melchior as Ratcatcher. Flula Borg, Nathan Fillion, Mayling Ng, Pete Davidson, Sean Gunn, Joaquin Cosio, Juan Diego Botto, Storm Reid, Taika Waititi, Alice Braga, Tinashe Kajese, Peter Capaldi, Julio Ruiz, Jennifer Holland, Idris Elba, and Michael Rooker have all been cast in currently-unknown roles.

“It’s going to be different, for sure, but I think everyone’s welcoming that challenge and welcoming the new energy in.” Courtney previously told ComicBook.com. “I loved [Suicide Squad director] David [Ayer], I loved working with David, I’d work with David again in a heartbeat. But Gunn, too, is quite prolific and really, obviously, does know what he’s doing. I’m excited to see what he brings to it. It’s going to be tonally different but very cool as well. The world has evolved from where we were at at that point; he’s going to have his own take on it, and it’s going to be great.”

Who do you hope John Cena ends up playing in The Suicide Squad? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

The Suicide Squad is expected to open in theaters on August 6, 2021.