The SAG-AFTRA strike continues to leave a lot of actors struggling without their main sources of income, while certain marquee celebrities like John Cena and Dwayne Johnson have been able to return in differing capacities to their roots as WWE Superstars. With negotiations seemingly closer than ever to bringing actors back to work, there’s a question of how available either athlete will be once the strike is over. Cena just made it clear how much further his commitment to WWE will last following the end of the strike, but what does that mean for The Rock?
For those that missed Cena’s comments, the pro wrestler-turned-actor spoke to CinemaBlend and other outlets at the Fastlane 2023 press conference. I had a chance to ask the Peacemaker star if the end of the strike meant Hollywood would call him away from the WWE, and “The Champ” didn’t mince words, saying:
They do. They do, and I’ve made it perfectly clear that you can’t do both because of the liability insurance. If I were to try to juggle both, that’s very selfish because I put a whole lot of people in the movie business out of work because something happened to me. So, yes. I stopped a project in the middle of it. I can’t even talk about the project because of the strike we’re in. But we’re in the middle of it. As soon as we get back to work, I go back to work. But I don’t control any of that. I’m crossing my fingers and hoping to find a resolve that everybody is happy with, and for right now I think this is the best way I can help. I’m back home with my family.
John Cena made it clear that once the SAG-AFTRA strike is over, he’s required to get back to his other on-screen efforts in Hollywood. Dwayne Johnson hinted he may be available for WrestleMania 40, but will it still be feasible for him to appear if the strike ends in the near future?
John Cena’s Talk Of “Liability Insurance” Likely Applies To Dwayne Johnson As Well
John Cena mentioned how liability insurance impacts his ability to continue in the WWE while he has an active role in a project. Essentially, if Cena is injured in a match, his potential inability to film could shut down work on whatever project he’s invested in, which would then possibly put the crew working on those movies out of jobs for however long it takes him to recover. At 46 years old, Cena is likely more vulnerable physically than he was in his prime WWE days, making the risk of sustaining a big injury very real.
The same is true of Dwayne Johnson, who has no shortage of movies and other projects he’s working on. And while Dwayne Johnson is a physical specimen regularly posts athletic feats that would kill any lesser man, he’s five years older than Cena. Will any studio be ok with him risking their film on him hurting himself in a WrestleMania main event match?
Did Dwayne Johnson Account For WrestleMania 40 In His Potential Filming Schedule?
John Cena doesn’t speak for Dwayne Johnson, and given the latter was a lock for WrestleMania 39 before having to pull out, it’s possible he planned ahead to be available for the upcoming WWE event in Philadelphia. Johnson aims to face off against his cousin Roman Reigns on the big stage, and the company is seemingly willing to give him the chance if schedules align.
At the same time, I think John Cena’s brutal honesty about his commitment to Hollywood vs. the WWE is telling. Sure, he loves returning for the fans as much as anyone, and as Triple H said later in the press conference, the Wipeout co-host doesn’t have to be there. It tracks that with that arrangement in mind, he’s free to pop out and return to his usual work elsewhere, and we can only enjoy the ride while it’s happening.
Which is to say that it seems like wrestling fans shouldn’t expect Dwayne Johnson to be available for WrestleMania 40, especially when nothing explicit has been announced by either party. It’s better just to enjoy what’s happening now, and if Johnson makes another surprise appearance following his emotional return at SmackDown, great. If not, there are still plenty of awesome wrestlers in the WWE capable of taking down Roman Reigns.
Monday Night Raw airs on USA Network on Mondays at 8:00 p.m. ET. Tune in for the fallout following Fastlane, and how that moves us forward into the next few weeks of WWE entertainment.