5 WWE Legends That Broke Out Of The Ring
by Explore Disney+ Contributor
April 10, 2026
Catch WWE stars like Dwayne Johnson and John Cena in movies and shows streaming on Disney+ and Hulu on Disney+ for bundle subscribers*
Pro wrestlers don’t always leave the spotlight behind when they step out of the ring. Many WWE legends have built second acts that are just as entertaining, popping up as action heroes, fantasy favorites, and scene‑stealing comic relief across movies and shows. From larger‑than‑life performances to surprising roles far beyond WrestleMania, these superstars have found new ways to stay in the spotlight. Below, you’ll find five WWE standouts (Dwayne Johnson a.k.a. The Rock, John Cena, Batista, Edge, Andre the Giant) and the Disney+ and Hulu titles where you can watch them next.*
Dwayne Johnson (The Rock)
Who is Dwayne Johnson?
Before becoming one of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars, Dwayne Johnson made his name in WWE as The Rock, a character who turned every second in the ring into a performance. He carried himself with such confidence that just a raised eyebrow could set off the crowd. What really made him stand out was how much fun he seemed to be having. Even when he got under an opponent’s skin, there was always a wink beneath the bravado. That mix of charisma, humor, and presence helped cement him as one of WWE’s most electrifying superstars and paved the way for a seamless transition beyond the ring.
What makes Dwayne Johnson legendary?
There’s a reason people still bring up Johnson’s “This Is Your Life” segment with Mick Foley and the chaotic 1998 Survivor Series finish where he beat Mankind to win the WWE Championship. These moments showcase his ability to keep the crowd hanging on a punchline, then deliver an impressive performance in the ring.
Movies Starring Dwayne Johnson (The Rock) On Disney+
Moana
Chosen by the ocean, Moana embarks on a perilous journey to save her island and people. She runs into the demigod Maui, voiced by Johnson, armed with a magic fishhook and the confidence that he’s got everything handled. In the back-and-forth between Moana’s stubborn determination and Maui’s larger-than-life personality, their adventure comes to life. Moana is warm, funny, and easy to get swept up in.
Moana 2
The sequel brings Johnson back as Maui, the charismatic demigod. While Moana heads into dangerous, long-lost waters, Maui gives the movie a playful jolt, treating every moment he’s on screen as a chance to add another line to his own legend. If Maui was your favorite part of the first film, this sequel offers plenty to smile about.
Jungle Cruise
Johnson heads into the jungle as Frank Wolff, a fast-talking riverboat captain with an answer for everything. Frank expects another day of ferrying tourists until Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) hires him to help track down a healing tree hidden deep in the Amazon. Johnson gives Frank a scrappy energy that keeps the movie lively, whether he’s steering the boat or talking his way out of trouble. His chemistry with Blunt makes for some funny scenes, and Johnson gives the whole adventure a little extra swagger.
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The Game Plan
The role of Joe Kingman, a football superstar whose carefully-managed life gets interrupted by an eight-year-old daughter he didn’t know existed, allows Johnson to lean fully into his silly side. A lot of the movie’s laughs come from watching a man who can handle a stadium crowd get completely thrown by ordinary dad duties. Johnson plays Joe’s vanity straight, which makes the awkward moments hit harder and lets his character’s warmer side keep things light and charming.
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Race to Witch Mountain
This sci-fi adventure features Johnson as Jack Bruno, a Las Vegas cabdriver who’s trying to stay out of trouble until two teens jump into his car with an otherworldly problem. Soon, he’s dodging federal agents and helping his unexpected passengers reach their ship before an alien hunter catches them. Johnson keeps Jack grounded as he gets pulled deeper into a rescue he never planned to join.
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John Cena
Who is John Cena?
John Cena shot to stardom in WWE. You knew exactly who he was the second he stepped into an arena and he never felt hard to read. He was open with the crowd and comfortable playing to them, which made him a natural superstar in wrestling and set the stage for his movie and TV career.
What makes John Cena legendary?
Cena’s surprise return to win the 2008 Royal Rumble is one of those WWE moments people instantly remember, and the U.S. Open Challenge showed how he could make a regular weekly match feel worth showing up for. Cena stayed right at the center of WWE for a long time, and that kind of pull is why he still feels so iconic.
Movies & Shows Starring John Cena On Disney+ & Hulu
Vacation Friends, Hulu
Cena plays Ron, who spends a week pulling straight-laced couple Marcus and Emily into his hard-partying lifestyle while on vacation in Mexico. Months later, he barges back into their life before their wedding, as if personal boundaries were somebody else’s problem. Cena’s energy lends his character enough reckless fun to make every new mess worth watching, adding a boisterous charm to the already raunchy comedy. (Hulu)*
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Vacation Friends 2, Hulu
Cena returns as Ron, bringing his signature chaos to a luxury resort in the Caribbean. Soon after arriving, the vacation unravels when his wife's ex-con father tags along, pulling Ron into family drama and a hunt for sunken treasure. Cena commits so hard to every ridiculous bit that Ron becomes the guy you can’t stop watching, even when everyone else is begging him to stop. (Hulu)*
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FX’s The Bear, Hulu
Cena briefly guest stars as Neil and Ted Fak’s brother in season 3 of the award-winning series that follows a young fine-dining chef who comes home to Chicago to run his family sandwich shop. (Hulu)*
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Batista (Dave Bautista)
Who is Batista?
Dave Bautista took to the stage as Batista, with a calm, powerful presence that instantly changed the tone the second he stepped into the ring. A man of few words, his size and stare did all the work. He always made it feel like something exciting was about to go down, making him one of WWE’s most dominant stars.
What makes Batista legendary?
A lot of Batista’s lore comes from big, decisive moments that actually delivered. When he broke away from Triple H and picked him as his opponent for WrestleMania 21, it felt like the start of something huge, and beating him for the World Heavyweight Championship sealed it. His WrestleMania 23 match with The Undertaker is another one fans still bring up, because Batista was always in top form when the stakes were high.
Movies Starring Batista / Dave Bautista On Disney+
Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy
An action-packed, epic space adventure, Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy expands the Marvel Cinematic Universe into the cosmos, where brash adventurer Peter Quill finds himself the object of an unrelenting bounty hunt after stealing a mysterious orb coveted by Ronan, a powerful villain with ambitions that threaten the entire universe. To evade the ever-persistent Ronan, Quill is forced into an uneasy truce with a quartet of disparate misfits: Rocket, a gun-toting raccoon; Groot, a tree-like humanoid; the deadly and enigmatic Gamora; and revenge-driven Drax the Destroyer. But when Quill discovers the true power of the orb and the menace it poses to the cosmos, he must do his best to rally his ragtag rivals for a last, desperate stand, with the galaxy’s fate in the balance.
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Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
Set to the sonic backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mystery of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies, and characters from the classic comics come to their aid as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to expand.
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Marvel Studios’ Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
In Marvel Studios' Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, our beloved band of misfits are looking a bit different these days. After acquiring Knowhere from the Collector, we find the Guardians working to repair the extreme damage done by Thanos, determined to make Knowhere a safe haven, not only for themselves, but for all refugees displaced by the harsh universe. But it isn’t long before their lives are upended by the echoes of Rocket’s turbulent past. Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him on a dangerous mission to save Rocket’s life, a mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.
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Edge (Adam Copeland)
Who is Edge?
Adam Copeland wrestled as Edge, with a grin that meant trouble was on the way. He carried himself with a smug calmness, like he was always one step ahead of everyone. That mix of confidence and calculation is a big reason why his nicknames, “The Rated-R Superstar” and “The Ultimate Opportunist,” fit him so well. You got the sense he was always ready to turn the tides his way when you least expected it.
What makes Edge legendary?
Edge is the kind of wrestler fans still bring up because his moves felt perfectly timed. Winning the first Money in the Bank Ladder Match at WrestleMania 21 and cashing in on John Cena at New Year’s Revolution 2006 felt right on brand, because he always knew exactly when to strike. His 2020 Royal Rumble return is another reason fans still talk about him the way they do.
Where Edge / Adam Copeland Stars On Disney+
Percy Jackson and the Olympians
Percy Jackson’s life gets a lot stranger the moment he learns he’s Poseidon’s son and heads to Camp Half-Blood. With Zeus’ master bolt missing and his mother taken from him, he heads out with his new friends Annabeth and Grover, trying to stay ahead of monsters while working out which gods are helping and which ones are making things worse. Copeland shows up as Ares, the God of War, with the arrogance you’d expect from a powerful deity who enjoys making Percy’s life harder.
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Andre the Giant (André René Roussimoff)
Who is Andre the Giant?
Towering over the competition at 7-foot-4, Andre the Giant didn’t just stand out, he changed the entire feel of an event the second he appeared. People stared. Opponents looked nervous. But there was also something warm and oddly charming about him, which gave him more of a gentle-giant energy than the louder, flashier stars around him.
What makes Andre the Giant legendary?
As the inaugural WWE Hall of Fame inductee, Andre the Giant sits in a category of his own. His WrestleMania III match with Hulk Hogan was a highlight of the 1980s wrestling boom, and the fact that WWE later named the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal after him says plenty about the mark he left behind. Even now, his legacy remains a piece of wrestling folklore.
Movies & Shows Starring Andre The Giant On Disney+
The Princess Bride
When Buttercup is kidnapped and forced into a royal wedding, her one true love Westley sets off across the Kingdom of Florin to rescue her from Prince Humperdinck. Andre the Giant plays gentle giant Fezzik, an enforcer on the kidnapping crew who turns out to be much kinder than he first appears. As loyalties start to shift, Fezzik becomes the person you want on your side most, giving the movie some of its funniest and sweetest sequences.
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WWE Rivals
A documentary that gets into the grudges that built WWE’s legacy. Each episode features a feud that spilled out of the arena and into mainstream culture, pulling in audiences who weren’t typical wrestling fans. In Season 2, Episode 1, titled “Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant,” the show zooms in on the pair’s rivalry, culminating in their WrestleMania III showdown. If you thought all the drama stopped at the bell, think again.
er element on the biggest stage possible. She brought a sharp, self-possessed energy to high-pressure spots, so even when the stakes were high, she was always sure of herself.
Celebrate The 2026 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony
While WrestleMania 42 takes over Las Vegas, the 2026 WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony gives fans a chance to pause and celebrate the names that helped build WWE’s legacy. Taking place Saturday, April 18 at 12am ET / Friday, April 17 at 9pm PT, this year’s class includes former WWE Chairwoman Stephanie McMahon, Grand Slam Champion AJ Styles, Demolition, Sid Eudy, and Dennis Rodman, with more inductees to be announced. The Hall of Fame grows every year, with more wrestling stars getting their due as each new class is announced. It’s the part of WrestleMania weekend that gives WWE legends their moment to shine and reminds fans of their impact over the years.
WrestleMania 42 streams April 18 and 19 in the ESPN App with ESPN Unlimited and on Disney+ with a Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle.**
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