John Cena is officially deep into his post-WWE era, and Netflix just gave fans their first proper look at what’s next. The streamer has released an image from its upcoming comedy Little Brother, featuring Cena alongside Eric André — and the pairing alone tells you exactly what kind of energy this movie is aiming for. Little Brother follows a famous real estate agent whose carefully curated life is upended when his eccentric younger brother unexpectedly reappears.

Why Has John Cena Retired from WWE?

Cena, who retired from WWE last month, recently opened up about the emotional and psychological toll of retiring from professional sports during an appearance on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. While discussing why so many athletes struggle to walk away, Cena pointed to a quote from veteran sports journalist Tom Rinaldi that has stayed with him. “Tom Rinaldi once said, like, I heard a quote, ‘Athletes die twice.’ They die when they stop playing sports, and they die when they put you in the ground.” For Cena, the quote captures what he sees as the real issue behind retirement, which is an inability to accept closure. He explained that for many performers, the ring becomes the place where they feel most like themselves, and losing that space can feel like losing their identity altogether, saying: “A lot of folks, it’s tough to turn off the switch. It’s where they feel most at home, and they’re at a huge loss without it.”

Cena contrasted that mindset with his own approach, revealing that he’s been mentally preparing for life after wrestling for several years. Rather than defining himself by his career, he’s worked to separate his identity from the role he’s played in the ring. He went on to say:

“I’ve been thinking about this for like, at least three years, like, I’m just ready to do life. I love wrestling with all my heart, but it is not who I am. It doesn’t define me as a person.”

Because of that perspective, Cena believes he’ll be able to stick to his retirement without being pulled back by the need for validation or familiarity. “If you view me as a wrestler, and that’s how you know me… That’s great… But I think it’s important that I know that just because I don’t have this in my life, that’s not it’s not all that I am.”

Little Brother will release on Netflix later this year.

via Collider