Roman Reigns sees John Cena and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as more than two of the biggest names in WWE history. As Reigns continues to build an acting résumé alongside his wrestling career, he views the pair as mentors whose paths offer a blueprint for what may come next.
Reigns discussed Cena and Johnson while reflecting on the stage of his career he currently occupies. Acknowledging that he is closer to the end of his in-ring run than its beginning, Reigns spoke with admiration about the impact both men had on him before he became one of WWE’s defining modern stars. Their ability to leave wrestling with an enduring legacy while finding major success in Hollywood stands out to Reigns as he considers his own future.
“These two are special humans. You’re talking about, even in their leaned out stages, they’re still superhero guys,” Reigns said of Cena and Johnson.
For Reigns, their influence goes beyond physical presence or fame. He watched each man establish himself at the top of WWE before carrying the skills, confidence, and larger-than-life presentation developed in the ring into another demanding entertainment industry. That experience has made them particularly meaningful reference points as he explores opportunities away from weekly wrestling competition.
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“These are my mentors. These are the guys that I watched come before me. So these were guys who had a great imprint and left a great impression on me. They were also great influences to look at. If you’re going to steal from somebody, from their playbook, John Cena and Dwayne Johnson are two of the very best you can do it from.”
Two WWE Paths Reigns Can Study
Johnson’s journey remains the most famous example of a WWE headliner becoming a full-scale Hollywood leading man. After reaching extraordinary heights in WWE, Johnson moved his full-time wrestling career into the rearview mirror in 2002 and made acting his primary professional focus. He has returned to WWE in different capacities over the years, but his career was fundamentally reshaped by the move into film.
Cena followed a somewhat different route. He shifted acting into a central role in his career in 2017 while continuing to make WWE appearances. Cena managed to wrestle at least once in every year that followed until his official retirement from wrestling in December 2025. That balance offered a separate model: a performer can develop a substantial screen career without immediately severing every connection to the ring.
Those two paths are not identical, and Reigns did not suggest that his own career will unfold in exactly the same way as either man’s. Still, the shared principle is clear. Cena and Johnson each used the platform they built in WWE to create opportunities outside it, all while remaining recognizable to the audience that watched them rise as wrestlers.
Reigns has been one of WWE’s most prominent figures for years, first as part of The Shield and then as the centerpiece of the Bloodline story. His run as Universal Champion and subsequent Undisputed WWE Championship reign placed him at the heart of some of the company’s biggest events and longest-running narratives. His status has also made any potential transition into new fields a significant subject, especially as his schedule and career priorities continue to evolve.
Reigns Has Already Added Screen Credits
While the prospect of a larger acting move may be a future goal, Reigns is not beginning from zero. He has already appeared in several projects, including Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, The Wrong Missy, The Pickup, and Zootopia 2. The credits have given him an early foothold in a world that Cena and Johnson know well.
His next major screen role will bring him into a property with a devoted global following. Reigns is set to portray Akuma in the live-action adaptation of Street Fighter, which is scheduled for release later this month. Akuma is one of the most recognizable characters associated with the fighting-game franchise, making the casting a notable step in Reigns’ developing acting career.
The role also fits naturally with why Reigns pointed to Cena and Johnson as “superhero guys.” WWE performers routinely work in a heightened environment that demands physical conditioning, camera awareness, character work, timing, and the ability to communicate to a large audience. Those qualities do not guarantee success in film, but they are parts of the foundation that both Cena and Johnson drew upon after becoming established wrestling stars.
Reigns’ comments suggest he understands that foundation while also respecting the scale of what his mentors accomplished. He did not present acting as a finished destination or indicate a definitive timetable for leaving wrestling. Instead, he framed it as an area he is gradually entering while looking toward the next major phase of his professional life.
“I hope that I can get to a place like they did in my career where that’s going to be the next step for me,” Reigns added.
A Future Beyond Full-Time Wrestling
That wording is important because it captures the uncertainty that naturally comes with career transitions. Reigns is considering the future rather than announcing an immediate departure. His WWE legacy is already substantial, but he is also aware that a wrestling career has limits. In-ring performance is physically demanding, and the industry’s most accomplished figures often eventually confront the question of how to carry their public identity into a different kind of work.
Johnson and Cena represent especially relevant examples because their careers began at WWE’s highest level. Both learned how to command arenas, deliver memorable promos, work in front of live cameras, and cultivate a connection with audiences across generations. Their success outside wrestling was built over time, through projects that allowed them to establish themselves in a different medium. Reigns’ reference to their “playbook” reflects an appreciation for that long-term process.
There is also a personal dimension to Reigns’ perspective. He was not simply naming two famous former WWE stars as abstract business comparisons. He described them as men he watched before him, performers who made a lasting impression as he developed his own identity in the company. That makes their examples more immediate than a general list of actors or celebrities who once wrestled.
For WWE fans, the comments provide a useful look at how Reigns views his own position. He remains associated with the biggest stories and personalities in the company, but he is actively preparing for possibilities beyond the ring. His early film work and the upcoming Street Fighter role indicate that those possibilities are already taking shape.
Whether Reigns eventually follows Johnson’s path toward a full-time acting career, takes a more intermittent approach comparable to Cena’s later WWE years, or creates a route that is entirely his own remains to be seen. Nothing in his remarks establishes a final date for the end of his wrestling career. What they do establish is that Reigns has two unusually qualified mentors to study as he navigates what comes next.
For now, Reigns’ focus appears to be on learning from the examples set by Cena and Johnson while continuing to expand his own body of work. Their accomplishments in WWE and Hollywood have shown him the ceiling can be much higher than one career. As Reigns looks ahead, he hopes his next chapter can reach a similarly significant place.
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Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.