John Cena knows his new movie Heads of State might make others wonder whether he’d consider running for president in real life.
“I know that’s going to be a question on a lot of people’s minds,” Cena, 48, exclusively told Us Weekly on Monday, May 12, at the Amazon Upfronts. “This is a movie and I’m playing a role in a buddy action comedy.”
Cena plays Will Derringer, who is the President of the United States. While Cena took on the political role for the movie, he doesn’t see himself in the White House anytime soon.
“I just happen to wear a suit and say my character’s in the Oval Office,” he explained. “I think that’s about as far as we can take that.”
In Heads of State, Cena’s fictionalized president teams up with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, played by Idris Elba. The duo must set aside their rivalry after they are both targeted by assassins and have to team up in an attempt to save the world. The movie also stars Priyanka Chopra, Jack Quaid, Paddy Considine, Stephen Root and more.
Cena gushed that the movie is “fantastic” and hoped fans will tune in when Heads of State premieres via Prime Video on July 2.
While speaking to ad buyers at the event, Cena teased that Heads of State was action-packed.
“Once the movie starts, it doesn’t stop, and it starts with Air Force One getting destroyed. We get to run the presidential beast through the paces in what is an epic car chase,” he recalled. “I’m hung out of a bank vault from a 30-story building. We jump off a train, and that’s just getting warmed up.”
Cena also gushed about getting to team up with Elba again years after starring in The Suicide Squad together.
“We went to Prime Video and said, ‘We had a lot of fun on The Suicide Squad. Can we do this again?’” Cena said. “And [they] said, ‘Yes,’ so thank you so much.”
While Cena is seen as a tough guy thanks to his acting and wrestling careers, he confessed that isn’t actually the case at home.
“Well, perception is reality, right? If you always see me dodging explosions and beating people up, you get an idea of like, ‘Oh, that’s who he is.’ That’s not me,” he said. “I’m 48. I love to read. I play piano in my spare time. I love to go on dates with the Mrs.”
Cena added that his wife, Shay Shariatzadeh, was joining him at Monday’s event for a “date” night. (Cena and Shariatzadeh met in 2019 while he was working on Playing With Fire, and they tied the knot the following year.)
“I am so far removed from what you see on TV, but I’ll allow everybody out there [to have their opinion],” he continued. “Perception is your reality. So whatever your lens of me is, I can’t tell you how to feel.”
Cena shared that it’s a lot of “fun” to take on a variety of projects and also come together with other stars to see the work they’ve created.
“This is so awesome to be able to come here and gather interest of, like, ‘Hey, we got all this entertainment for you to enjoy on Prime Video, man,’” he reflected. “So it’s fun being involved in this business.”
Heads of State premieres on Prime Video on July 2.
