IT’S (not) JOHN CENA! We finally know who will play the titular hero in one of DC’s upcoming films. The Hollywood Reporter confirmed Zachary Levi will star as Shazam! in the DC Extended Universe. Levi is best known for his role in Chuck, the beloved NBC spy-comedy series, Fandral in the Thor sequels, and the voice of Flynn Rider in Disney’s Tangled. Shazam! is the alter ego of Billy Batson, a…
True Story: we were at a house show the day before SummerSlam. And amid the riotous din of “Cena Sucks”, a small boy turned tearful eyes to the rest of our row and wailed plaintively: “No, he doesn’t!” I thought of that small boy as John Cena took to the ramp Sunday evening (that new blue shirt is much easier on the eyes than some previous choices). And I thought of him again later as I reflected back on a performance from the Face who Runs the Place that was…good. Cena did good. He didn’t suck.
Truly, John Cena was solid on Sunday. He didn’t grandstand, he didn’t oversell to the point of sarcasm, and he put himself to work collaborating with Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar to create a dynamo of a match that really kept me guessing. John Cena’s never going to not be a monolith in the company — there’s no backpedaling from that. So when John Cena finds an opportunity to look bruised, bewildered, and unnerved by an opponent, it’s a refreshing and compelling change. There were shades of the Wyatt battles, another controversial program that showed some of Cena’s best storytelling.
Brock Lesnar, likewise, is fascinating and terrifying to watch. All you see is impending disaster, but you can’t look away — he’s the human equivalent of hurricane doppler. And despite some criticisms of him as a disengaged part-timer, he never resorts to the jokey swagger a man of his stature could easily fall back on. He swallowed finisher after finisher in true immortal fashion, but every time he did hit the floor he sold the heck out of it. His stretcher job was rather convincing, as they go, and he’ll provide an excellent blockade at Wrestlemania 31, whether it’s for Roman Reigns or a surprise interloper.
And Seth Rollins. What else can be said? He doesn’t have a dependable PPV performance repertoire under his belt yet, so there’s always an unknown when he gets in the ring for a committed match. It was great to see Rollins back to a really athletic style after months of squirrelly evasion and DQs. I caught my breath every time he went airborne — he flies like a man 50lbs lighter, and that Phoenix Splash on Cena was a work of art.
This was pro work on the part of all three men. Three highly different characters, with vastly distinct sizes and styles, came together to offer one of the best ensemble performances we’ve seen in some time.
Mission: The Sunny Side of the Ring is here to put a ray of sunshine on the positives of WWE/Pro Wrestling/Sports Entertainment, and provide a safe space for people to talk about what they enjoy. Feedback is welcome, but this is an anti-smark, no-aggro zone. Peace! (Photos courtesy WWE/wwe.com 2014)
Peacemaker is honestly such an important character and I had to binge this show in only two days. That’s how much I was invested in these characters and story. I love how they wove in a personal dynamic story of self-discovery and overcoming one’s past rooted in parental abuse and trauma within a more action-packed superhero plot. Who knew John Cena of all people would be such a fantastic actor of course! His emotions and style absolutely sells the character all the way through. I never cared for him as a wrestler but he had a fan after this role. Completely knocked it out of the park with his crying and grief scenes from start to finish.
The revealing of Peacemaker being queer was something that I did not expect but felt like a nice brownie for us queer men that may have grown up in those unhealthy systems and environment. We grow and overcome and learn. Peacemaker is built like a truck, a literal hero, strong physically, takes beaten after beating, he’s the most “traditional” form of masculinity on a surface level. Through the show it felt like James Gunn was subverting a lot of what I though the character would be. It’s such a nice breakaway from the corny or more subdued form of Marvel’s Captain America or traditional masculine American-based hero figures.
I went in not expecting much and felt a lot of soul and heart put into this character in only eight mere episodes. I thought he would be some overblown macho killing machine but even to the bitter end he had sympathy for someone who never deserved it. The emotional nuance and strength to this character who seeminly started off as some block head underneath with his origin story of his brother rally has made a completely niche comic book hero one of my favs in nearly a decade.
Finally, again, we are gonna see the champ vs the monster. Cena did win last time but can the 15 times World champion can do his magic again! This question wont be answered until #SummerSlam #CenaVslesnar #JohnCena #WWE
ok I’ve never watched wrestling in my life cuz it wasn’t my thing BUT to quench my deeply rooted John Cena thirst that I had obtained after watching F9, The Suicide Squad, & Peacemaker I decided to watch wwe videos of him wrestling when he was younger *now I can’t stop*…
& i get it now I mean look at him I am completely obsessed
he’s awesome I wish would’ve known then
& he’s so precious
& it’s fun to watch him in action like this
putting aside the fact that he’s insanely hot & a genuinely good actor & just focusing on the wrestling he was amazing at what he did, all the championships he won were well deserved… he had a wonderfully accomplished & fulfilled career I’m so proud of him
