John Cena Explains Why He Was Excited to Have Sheep Nipples on His Face in New Action Thriller

Summary

Heads of State, starring John Cena, Idris Elba, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas, is now streaming on Prime Video.
In an interview with Collider’s Steve Weintraub, Cena discusses the action-packed film and dubs it a “buddy action comedy.”
Cena also teases James Gunn’s Superman, working with Sam Hargrave on Matchbox, and his upcoming final year with WWE.

John Cena has built a career on action, from being an iconic figure in wrestling to roles in action-packed films, where the excitement is typically matched by his trademark sense of humor and comedic timing. While Peacemaker fans patiently wait for season 2 to premiere later this summer, they can first watch him step into the role of President of the United States in Prime Video’s action-comedy Heads of State.

In the film, which is now streaming on Prime Video, UK Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) and U.S. President Will Derringer have a rivalry that jeopardizes the relationship between the two countries, until they’re forced to set aside their differences and rely on one another. After being shot down in Air Force One, Clarke and Derringer find themselves on the run from enemies pursuing them, seeking the help of MI6 agent Noel Bisset (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) to put an end to a global conspiracy posing a global threat. The film also stars Carla Gugino, Jack Quaid, Stephen Root, Sarah Niles, Richard Coyle, and Paddy Considine, and is directed by Ilya Naishuller.

While being interviewed by Collider’s Steve Weintraub about the upcoming film, Cena reveals whether he’s seen James Gunn‘s Superman, before discussing having an Air Force One set on Heads of State, his stunts in the film, and the experience of reuniting with Elba on-screen. He also teases his upcoming action, Matchbox, with Extraction director Sam Hargrave and his final year in WWE after more than two decades since his debut.

John Cena Says James Gunn Has “Set a Beautiful Table” for ‘Superman’

“I’m a family member over there.”

Superman 2025 David Corenswet as Superman looking triumphant — Image via Warner Bros

COLLIDER: I’m obsessed with getting more people to see movies in movie theaters, so I’ve been asking everybody in town: do you have a favorite movie theater?

JOHN CENA: Man, that’s a tough one, because I’m on the road all the time. Quite honestly, I don’t have the luxury to go to theaters that much. Honestly, the only times nowadays I get in the theaters are for premieres, and I really do love the experience. We got a premiere coming up here in New York, and we got a premiere in London. Those are great date nights with the missus, so I truly love going to the theater for that. I do know the importance of the theater experience, but don’t knock the ability to watch content wherever, whenever, because Heads of State is on Prime Video, so we want to be able to do that. But I don’t make it to the theater as much as I should.

Without streaming, some of my favorite things would not air. I love Prime Video and Apple and Netflix and all the people making incredible stuff.

Ben Affleck and Jon Bernthal on the poster for The Accountant 2.

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The most anticipated thing for me this summer is James Gunn’s Superman. Has he shown it to you, or when do you see it?

CENA: I haven’t seen it. I want to see that with the rest of the world. Unfortunately, because of scheduling conflict, I can’t make the premiere. That will be the next movie I see in the theater, Superman. Because, I think regardless of your depth of field in superheroes or comic books, Superman is one of those few names that has transcended that genre. There are some names in professional wrestling that transcend the genre, and you’re just interested in what they’re doing. Superman is an interpretation that I want to see, and James has really made it interesting, and he’s done a good job to set a beautiful table. I can’t wait to see what he delivers. I know that’s a very important piece of the DC universe, which I’m a family member over there, so that’s a movie I’ll actually see in the theaters.

I am so curious about Matchbox, not just because you’re in it, but because I’m a big fan of Sam Hargrave and the action set pieces that he put together in the two Extraction movies are fucking jaw-dropping. This is his first movie after the Extraction films. What can you tell people about it, and does it have action that people are going to be like, “Oh, F?”

CENA: The thing I love about Matchbox is Sam also gets to flex a little range. He gets to tell stories. I’m not saying Extraction didn’t have those, but he gets to lean into a lot of character arc. Everyone will be blown away by the action. My biggest takeaway from that experience is I gained a friend and a ton of respect for a person in Sam Hargrave. He’s somebody that’s inspirational to me, somebody I admire. He asks your absolute best every single day, without fail, and I love that about a person who attacks and earns every day. I now know why his stuff looks the way it does, because he just refuses for it to fail. I can’t wait to work with him again. I really hope I have that luxury and I really hope people enjoy Matchbox. It is a kick-ass film, and I think he got to lean into his ability to show his depth, to tell a story, not just to perform crazy stunts.

The Crew Built Air Force One for ‘Heads of State’

Cena discusses his “buddy action comedy” opposite Idris Elba.

Jumping into why I get to talk to you with Heads of State. I will fully admit, and I’ll say it on camera, it’s a hell of a lot better than I expected.

CENA: Nice!

It is a really fun movie.

CENA: Dude, you’re tough to please, man. I like that.

I wasn’t sure what I was getting, but you two together. I’ll say it on camera, you’ve got to shut your brain off for this one, but you will be rewarded for the journey.

CENA: Thank you so much.

You’ve done a ton of stunts, and I just want to know where does having, I believe it’s “sheep nipples across your face” rank in the stunt work that you’ve done?

CENA: Flirting with getting dysentery is high up there on the list. There is a lot of excrement that comes from a truck full of sheep. Those are those moments where it’s like, “Man, what a job we have. This is really, really good.” And it’s all for the joke. It ended up looking great, the scene ended up being great, and it added a depth flaw to the character, which helps for every storyline, which makes the buddy comedy even more buddy. So, I’m into that.

You and Idris carry this movie, and he is such a great actor. You’ve worked with him before, but what was it like making this throwback buddy cop, well, not “buddy cop,” but buddy movie?

CENA: No, that’s right on the button, man. The buddy cop is the trope story that is relatable most to this movie. It’s a buddy action comedy, and usually we always go through the lane of law enforcement. We’re just using diplomacy this time.

Talk a little bit about the filming. Let’s break down, for example, the Air Force One sequence. What’s pretty crazy about the movie is you have a lot of action in this film, but let’s just talk about the Air Force One set piece and filming that one.

CENA: They built Air Force One, and they built a large section of Air Force One that could completely rotate 360 degrees. The great thing about building a giant set piece like that is, “Okay, how do we give it dynamics?” You have two characters. The character played by me is more aloof, and when the shit hits the fan, really, you see the cracks in his confidence. Idris’s character has military experience and has operational and tactical fluency, so his character is pressed forward, “Do the next right thing in front of you.” It’s very disciplined. How you make the most of the chaos in a set like that is the odd couple scenario of, like, “Ah! What are we going to do?!” And the one person being like, “No, this way, you idiot!” I think it adds to the suspense. It adds to the anxiety. It gives you a little bit of humor, and it makes the investment of a movie saying, “Just build Air Force One, but build it so it can flip upside down,” it gives it a lot more depth. That’s the whole movie, of Idris being able to flex his style, talents, strengths, and gifts, and me allowing him to do the stuff, he’s so good at so many things, but show his range, and then me just being an idiot kind of.

John Cena Teases His Final Year With WWE

“If you ever wanted to say something, I hate to steal my own cliché, but the time is now.”

John Cena with the WWE title at WrestleMania — Image via WWE

I know how popular what’s going on in wrestling is because I see it all over, even though I don’t follow it. I’m curious, how far ahead do you guys think about the storylines? How much is it very short term, and how much is it more long term in the way you want to develop your final year in the ring?

CENA: I don’t want to spoil any of the stuff for the final year, but I think your question is great. I’ve been in a lot of avenues of entertainment. I’ve read the morning news, I’ve hosted award shows, I’ve had slime poured all over me. I’ve done episodic television. I’ve been able to be on screen. I’ve been able to be on your phone, and I’ve been in arena life. There is no more adaptable form of storytelling than WWE. WWE can change a story as it happens live. You’re seeing, so far over the farewell tour dates, the 18 of 36 so far, we’ve made a ton of pivots, a ton of pivots right there in the moment. As we get close to the end of this thing, what dictates those pivots is the audience, and I think the audience will begin to feel differently, because now we are truly coming to the end.

So, if you ever had a voice to use, if you ever wanted to say something, I hate to steal my own cliché, but the time is now. I look forward to the road ahead because the audience is going to dictate the direction we go. I think it’s a wonderful time to be a fan. I think a lot of different talent are being able to capitalize on all we’re doing, and I applaud the WWE for always being able to think extended but pivot on a dime in a moment, as it happens. I think that’s their strongest suit.

Heads of State is now on Prime Video.