Rising to fame as a WWE wrestler,John Cena’s first starring role was in the action movieThe Marine(2006). However, he has also shone in comedic roles, such as inTrainwreck(2015),Ferdinand(2017), andBlockers(2018).
Cena has also starredin several action franchises, including theTransformersspinoff filmBumblebee(2018). He has also played Jakob Toretto in theFast & Furiousfranchise, including inF9(2021) andFast X(2023), and Peacemaker in the DC Universe, including in James Gunn’sThe Suicide Squad(2021) and his eponymous HBO Max series, withPeacemakerseason 2 set to premiere on August 21.
In recent years, Cena’s output has been prolific, with roles in the action adventureHidden Strike, the buddy comedyVacation Friends 2(both 2023), the comedyRicky Stanicky, and the action comediesJackpot!(both 2024) andHeads of State(2025). However,one particular John Cena movie has emerged as a surprise global hit on Netflix.
Freelance Becomes A Global Netflix Hit
Freelancehas become a global Netflix hit. Directed by Pierre Morel, best known forTaken(2008), the 2023 action comedy stars John Cena as a former special forces operative who is hired to protect a journalist (played by Alison Brie) during her interview with a dictator, but when a sudden military coup erupts mid-conversation, they must flee together into the jungle.
The cast also includes Juan Pablo Raba, Christian Slater, Alice Eve, Marton Csokas, and Sebastián Eslava.
Now, two years after its release,Freelanceranks sixthonNetflix’s Global Top 10 movies for the week of August 4-10 with 4 million views and 7.3 million hours viewed. It ranks belowMy Oxford Year,KPop Demon Hunters,Happy Gilmore 2,Megamind,Gladiator II, and aboveHotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation,Journey 2: The Mysterious Island,Coach Carter, andKandahar.
What This Means For Freelance
Freelancebecoming a global hit on Netflix is a decent consolation prize for a film that was excoriated by critics, earning a dismal 10% score on Rotten Tomatoes. It also bombed at the box office, making just $10 million against its $40 million budget.
However, audiences agree that for those looking for lots of action,Freelanceis an enjoyable and entertaining choice, fueling its climb to Netflix’s Global Top 10. Sure, it couldn’t lure audiences to theaters with the promise of explosions and Cena’s charisma, but it now gets to wear the coveted Global Top 10 badge, the Hollywood equivalent of a participation trophy – shiny and meaningless, yet oddly comforting.
