Khel Now names five best films featuring WWE stars

Khel Now on 2026-09-23 published a list of the five best movies of all time starring WWE performers, highlighting titles that feature John Cena, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Hulk Hogan and Batista. The selection includes Suicide Squad, Jumanji, Rocky III, Guardians of the Galaxy and entries from the Fast & Furious franchise.

WWE names have moved into mainstream cinema over the years as performers expanded into film roles to broaden their profiles. According to the Khel Now feature, that crossover began with Hulk Hogan entering mainstream movies and has since seen numerous top stars appear in major studio blockbusters. The outlet compiled its five picks to illustrate notable examples of that trend.

John Cena is listed for his role as the Peacemaker in the 2021 film Suicide Squad, where he played a jingoistic killer who wanted peace at any cost. The Never-Seen 17’s performance and the film’s success led to him having his own separate Peacemaker series on HBO.

Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson and his production house are credited with reviving the legacy of Robin Williams’ Jumanji, with Johnson portraying Dr. Smolder Bravestone. He shares the screen with Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan across two commercially successful Jumanji films.

Hulk Hogan’s cinematic crossover is traced to Rocky III, in which he played a wrestler named Thunderlips; that role produced a memorable fight scene with Rocky Balboa, portrayed by Sylvester Stallone. The piece also notes that the first major professional wrestling star to cross over and feature significantly in a Hollywood film was Hulk Hogan in Rocky III in 1982.

Batista is recognised for Guardians of the Galaxy, described as his breakout film in Hollywood, in which he played Drax the Destroyer, a heavily tattooed warrior seeking vengeance for the murder of his wife and daughter. Khel Now notes that he has reprised the role in sequel movies and in Avengers films, establishing Drax as a recurring character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Fast and Furious franchise is cited for incorporating WWE stars at different points: The Rock made his debut in Fast Five as DSS agent Luke Hobbs, and John Cena later appeared in Fast and Furious 9 as Jakob Toretto, the estranged brother of Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel. The article states Fast and Furious has become one of the biggest movie franchises, with performers such as Cena and The Rock playing integral roles, and it also records that The Rock became the highest-paid actor in 2024.

A third and final Jumanji film is set to be released this year, according to the Khel Now piece, providing a forthcoming example of continued crossover activity from WWE talent into major film projects.