With the new Batman movie coming up, discussions have heated up everywhere. John Cena has recently expressed interest in the character. Where would he fall in the new DCEU if he becomes the Dark Knight?
Long before he was cast for the DCEU in ‘Suicide Squad 2’, John Cena had been an ardent comics fan. Now that his chance has come to play a significant role in DC, he has also expressed interest in playing Batman in the future. What does the future hold for our Dark Knight, and what role does the enigmatic wrestler have to play in it?
Highlights —
- John Cena has expressed interest in playing Batman
- With years of fighting experience and showmanship under his belt, he’s the perfect fit
- Where does Cena fit in the larger DCEU?
The Rumor Mill
John Cena has been associated with many comic book movies in his career. Recently, he tweeted out a picture of X-O Manowar, hinting at a possible Valiant comic book universe. It’s no surprise, given that John Cena has been a part of his comic book line for a while. However, John Cena as Batman is a scenario that fans have been creating in their heads for a long time.
Speculations rose in 2010 as Christian Bale left the iconic cape. Could the American wrestler be next in the line for taking up the mantle of Dark Knight? However, that role went to Ben Affleck.
In the past, John Cena has sparked the flames himself, comparing himself to Batman in 2017.
John Cena as Batman would be a sight to see, but with his role cemented in the DCEU for now, we can only set our sights on future iterations of Batman, which might involve the wrestler in the titular role.
The Cena Batman, a detective?
Robert Pattinson taking on the caped cowl was met with much criticism from long-time fans. With his more athletic build, John Cena has a body type more similar to the Dark Knight for sure. However, they both might exist in parallel in the DCEU as it exists now.
There are two versions of Batman that have become famous over time. Detective Batman is a cunning researcher and investigator who uncovers mysteries and often takes on a spy role. While fighting is always on the cards when you’re playing Batman, the detective persona often is more about suspense, taking up noir characteristics, and playing up the mystery of the story.
What makes Cena the perfect pick for Batman?
However, the Caped Crusader has been a part of our collective conscience for a very long time. When he was rebooted in the 80s, ushering in the new Bronze Age for DC fans, he was given a more formidable, more rough role.
John Cena as Batman could be a compelling detective, but his physique allows him to be the enforcer, a version of Batman we haven’t seen on the silver screen. John Cena boasts of a decades-long wrestling career, so him taking on meatier roles as an enforcer against crime, taking criminals off the street, would be the most exciting part of the role.
John Cena as Batman could take off from where Ben Affleck left, creating a darker multiverse for DC fans in the film franchise and taking crime off the streets with his own two hands.
The perfect melee fighter
Anyone who has seen Batman films knows that Batman is a lot more than just his story. Set pieces of the story often involve Batman fighting corridors filled with men. Imagine John Cena’s Batman tearing through a hall filled with Joker henchmen as Daredevil does in this scene.
Cena’s chops as a wrestler give him a distinct advantage for this role, and he has the body to show off as dozens of men tear into him.
Cena could play into the more tortured version of Batman made famous by Frank Miller and others over the years. While Robert Pattinson goes around the DC universe solving crimes and using his mental skills to its best result, Cena’s Batman could be dealing with the dark alleyways and taking on the dark gangs that control Gotham.
Fans of the series already have an image of Batman. This post on Instagram perfectly encapsulates the fan images of John Cena as Batman. The defeated Batman rising against all kinds of obstacles is a fan-favourite idea, and John Cena would fall into the perfect place for playing it.
John Cena has previously hinted at being Batman and sent fans into a tizzy. Now that his role in the DCEU is more cemented, his turn as Batman seems more distant than ever. However, if the executives take a bet on the famous American wrestler, they would find a Batman that’s darker than any of the versions we’ve seen yet. Batman’s martial arts side remains to be explored, and Cena is the perfect man for the Caped Crusader’s job.
