John Cena Has Been Building His Netflix Empire for Years and These Are the 10 Movies and Shows to Prove It

‘Little Brother‘ is already a certified streaming hit. The comedy debuted on Netflix on June 26, 2026, and hit the number one spot on the platform’s daily movie chart in the United States just one day after its premiere. For a performer who spent decades as a record-setting 17-time world champion before pivoting to Hollywood, it is a milestone that feels both earned and overdue.

The good news is that John Cena’s Netflix catalog runs deeper than most people realize. No matter what kind of Cena content you are looking for, whether action, comedy, or WWE throwbacks, you can find it on Netflix. Below are ten movies and shows worth streaming the moment you finish ‘Little Brother’.

‘Freelance’ (2023)

‘Freelance’ is an action comedy starring John Cena and Alison Brie, directed by Pierre Morel. Cena plays Mason Pettits, a former Special Forces operative who reluctantly takes a private security job escorting journalist Claire Wellington as she interviews volatile dictator Juan Venegas. Christian Slater and Alice Eve round out the supporting cast.

Things go sideways fast when a military coup breaks out mid-interview, turning a simple escort job into a jungle survival mission. Fans of Cena’s comedic work in films like ‘Blockers’ and ‘Trainwreck’ will appreciate his performance in ‘Freelance’, which lets him show off both his stunt and physical comedy chops. The film has become one of Netflix’s most popular movies since its streaming debut.

‘Hidden Strike’ (2023)

‘Hidden Strike’ pairs John Cena and Jackie Chan as two former soldiers, Chris Van Horne and Luo Fen, who are forced to team up after a Chinese-owned firm is attacked by mercenaries. Together they must escort civilian employees through the infamous Highway of Death to safety, leading to a number of high-octane confrontations along the way.

The film was directed by Scott Waugh and written by Arash Amel. The central appeal is the odd-couple dynamic between Cena’s brash marine energy and Chan’s more measured screen presence, and the movie leans into that contrast at every opportunity. It is unpretentious action cinema that delivers exactly what the premise promises.

‘Trainwreck’ (2015)

Directed by Judd Apatow, ‘Trainwreck’ stars Amy Schumer as Amy Townsend, a hardcore partier who does not believe in love, and John Cena as Steven, the gym-obsessed boyfriend she is half-heartedly dating when the story begins. Bill Hader, Brie Larson, and Tilda Swinton also co-star.

Cena’s role proved to be his big comedic breakthrough, and he reportedly improvised the majority of his lines, including a ludicrously funny movie-theater rant after being compared to Mark Wahlberg. The film holds a Rotten Tomatoes critics score around 84 to 85 percent and won praise for its sharp humor and breakout performances. It remains one of the most important stepping stones in the Cena-to-Hollywood story.

‘The Bubble’ (2022)

‘The Bubble’ is a 2022 comedy directed by Judd Apatow that follows the cast and crew of a blockbuster action franchise who attempt to film a sequel while quarantining at a luxury hotel during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ensemble includes Karen Gillan, Pedro Pascal, Fred Armisen, Maria Bakalova, David Duchovny, Keegan-Michael Key, Leslie Mann, and Kate McKinnon.

Cena plays the film’s stunt coordinator, Steve, forced to block out fight choreography remotely on Zoom and seen only on a data pad held aloft on a pole. The joke builds gradually as his technical difficulties mount and the cast grows increasingly desperate. It is a smaller but genuinely funny showcase for his ability to make a limited screen presence land.

‘Playing with Fire’ (2019)

‘Playing with Fire’ stars John Cena, Keegan-Michael Key, and John Leguizamo as a team of rugged firefighters who rescue three mischievous orphans and find themselves completely out of their depth trying to babysit the kids. Cena leads as Jake Carson, a by-the-book smokejumper whose meticulously controlled world dissolves the moment the children arrive at his firehouse.

‘Playing with Fire’ found a second life on Netflix, climbing into the top five of globally watched films on the streaming service. It is the most family-friendly entry in this list by a wide margin, but Cena’s physical commitment to the comedic mayhem gives it a warmth that wins over audiences regardless of age. It plays as a fun counterpart to the sibling chaos at the heart of ‘Little Brother’.

‘WWE: Unreal’ (2025)

‘WWE: Unreal’ debuted on Netflix on July 29, 2025, with a second season following on January 20, 2026. Narrated by Triple H, the docuseries follows Cena and fellow superstars including Cody Rhodes, Rhea Ripley, CM Punk, Jey Uso, and Bianca Belair backstage to show how WWE’s biggest storylines are built from the writers’ room to the ring.

John Cena was one of the pivotal figures across both seasons, covering his retirement tour, his record-breaking championship run, and ultimately dropping the Undisputed title to Cody Rhodes at SummerSlam. A third season, focused on Cena’s farewell and the road to WrestleMania 42, has already been officially confirmed for release on Netflix on July 21, 2026.

‘WWE Road to WrestleMania’ (2025)

This 2025 docuseries takes a closer look at the journey through four WrestleManias, including the 2024 event where Cena and The Undertaker took to the ring to help Cody Rhodes dethrone Roman Reigns and win the Undisputed WWE Championship. It is a broader in scope than ‘WWE: Unreal’ but covers similarly high-stakes moments in Cena’s final chapter.

For viewers who came to ‘Little Brother’ with little knowledge of Cena’s wrestling past, this is one of the most effective crash courses available on the platform. The series puts his cultural significance in context and makes clear why his retirement became one of the most emotionally charged moments in recent sports entertainment history.

‘WWE Raw Classics’ (2025)

Hosted by Big E, ‘WWE Raw Classics’ is a curated collection of must-see historic Raw matches and moments, with Episode 3 diving deep into the legacy of Cenation and exploring what “hustle, loyalty, and respect” accomplished in and out of the ring.

It is the most anthology-style entry in this list, more of a curated retrospective than a single narrative. However, for anyone who wants to understand the scale of what Cena built over his career, this episode offers one of the most emotionally resonant summaries on the platform.

‘The John Cena Experience’ (2011)

This documentary puts John Cena in the spotlight and examines his training regimen, his personal hobbies, and his dedication to charitable work. It was produced during his peak years in WWE and captures the version of Cena who was simultaneously the company’s biggest star and one of the most recognized faces in pop culture.

Cena would go on to grant more than 650 wishes for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, the most in the organization’s history, and this film is one of the earliest documents of the values that drove that extraordinary commitment. Watching it back to back with more recent work makes for a surprisingly moving portrait of consistency and purpose.

‘Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ (2018)

John Cena was cast as the villain Baron Draxum in this reimagined animated series, which premiered on Nickelodeon on July 20, 2018. The show stars Ben Schwartz, Brandon Mychal Smith, Kat Graham, and Omar Benson Miller, and received an Annie Award nomination for its work.

It is the most unexpected entry in this list, but Cena brings genuine menace and dry comedic timing to the role that makes Baron Draxum one of the series’ standout elements. The series follows four mutant turtle brothers discovering mystic ninja powers while navigating both the modern world and hidden magical realms beneath New York City.

It serves as a reminder that Cena’s range extends far beyond what any single medium has fully contained, which hero in ‘Little Brother’ are you still thinking about?