Duke Nukem is known for two things: kicking alien ass and always being out of gum. Soon he’ll be known for a third thing: being played by John Cena in a movie.
According to CinemaBlend, producers Andrew Form (The Purge,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Brad Fuller (Project Almanac, The Purge) have confirmed that Cena, after months of negotiations, is officially attached to an upcoming Duke Nukem movie. Well, for now, anyway. Form stated the script has yet to be penned, and, as with any actor, Cena could potentially leave if he reads the script and doesn’t like it.
While the Duke Nukem movie doesn’t have a script yet, Form and Fuller are already determined to make the movie’s tone match that of Deadpool. This decision is strangely fitting since Duke is overtly sexist, but in a tongue-in-cheek sort of way. Plus, his chauvinism somehow adds to his machismo charm, as odd as it sounds. Form even acknowledges the challenge of turning those normally negative personality traits into endearing ones:
You know that having a misogynistic guy in today’s world, how do you make that fun and lovable and at the same time he’s got to be an incredible badass, so those are the things that we’re struggling with and we’re going to try and come out with what I hope is a really fun ride. That’s the goal, is for it to be a really fun ride.
Some might balk at the thought of Cena being up to the task of playing what might just be the prototypical badass video game hero, but, like fellow wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson, he has plenty of experience in both action and comedic roles (and a few that are both). Plus, in sunglasses and a flattop haircut, he could potentially be a dead ringer for the character. Given his ever-growing experience as a voice actor, he could conceivably also sound almost identical to Duke’s original voice actor Jon St. John by the time filming starts.
While the movie is a long way off, we will pay close attention to this movie. With luck, it will help redeem the Duke Nukem franchise after the disappointment that was Duke Nukem Forever.