When a new face joins a franchise like Fast & Furious in a major role, there’s always going to be at least some degree of intense stuntwork involved. As the series has evolved from street racing thrillers to mega budget blockbusters, the effects team have increasingly picked up more of the slack, but there’s still plenty of running, jumping, shooting and driving required from the cast and crew.
Luckily, the freshest addition to the family also happens to have extensive experience when it comes to getting physical. Prior to making an impact in Hollywood, John Cena spent well over fifteen years touring the world and enduring the punishing schedule that comes with being a WWE wrestler, and as the biggest draw and most recognizable name in the company for the majority of his tenure, his workload was arguably the heaviest of all.
However, it sounds as though he’s not made the jump to the silver screen carrying any sort of egocentric baggage, after revealing in a new interview why he feels absolutely no pressure when it comes to doing his own stunts, admitting that he’s more than happy for the trained professionals to take over if that’s deemed to be the best decision.
“When they tell me, like, ‘Hey, this might stop production, we’re going to switch you out’. I won’t be like, ‘No!’. I’m 44, man. I certainly, I’ve never been tough in my life. I don’t have to prove I’m tough. I’m not searching for validation on my masculinity or who I am as a human being, so I really take the advice of those who know more than me. And when they’re like, ‘Yo, you shouldn’t do this’, I’m like, ‘Okay. Alright. Great’.”
A lot of stars do the majority of their own stunts, but only in very rare instances do they forego a double altogether, and even Tom Cruise has a stand-in on the Mission: Impossible set when it comes to some wide shots or second unit footage. Cena, though, clearly didn’t want to big league anyone or mess up what would have been plenty of intricate and elaborate Fast & Furious choreography, and he’s evidently willing to take the advice of the seasoned stunt veterans on board when they offer it.