John Cena Passive-Aggressively Defends David Zaslav and Warner Bros. Over ‘Coyote vs. Acme’ Cancelation
John Cena says he understands why David Zaslav decided to cancel the release of Coyote vs. Acme after its completion, a corporate line-toeing that aligns with his personal philosophy of, “You can’t see me.”
In late 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Zaslav shelved the half-animated, half-live-action Looney Tunes movie about a hapless antagonist’s quest for justice after suffering decades of misfortune thanks to ineffective products purchased from the Acme corporation. Coyote vs. Acme, which began development long before Zaslav’s Discovery merged with WarnerMedia in 2022, was a labor of love that brought together such comedic talents as Adam McKay, James Gunn, Will Forte and Cena in an homage to the characters and cartoons that have enriched so many childhoods for the better part of the last century.
While those lucky industry insiders who got to see a test screening of Coyote vs. Acme have expressed outrage over Zaslav’s decision to can the project for a tax write-off, Cena, who played the primary antagonist and defense lawyer for the Acme corporation in the titular trial, stayed true to his character and sided with the corporate cancellers through gritted teeth in a recent interview for The Wrap.
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During the interview about his newly released action-comedy film Jackpot!, Cena said that WBD’s move to kill Coyote vs. Acme must be a “good business decision” — at least, it had better be one.
When asked about Coyote vs. Acme , Cena proceeded with caution. “There’s a lot there. And everyone’s perspective is different. We don’t own the film. That’s the tough part about this business, you do have a sense of ownership because you invest heart and soul,” Cena explained. “And (Coyote vs. Acme director) Dave Green and everybody involved, we made what we thought was a good movie.”
“I would have liked to have seen it given a chance,” Cena said of Coyote vs. Acme, adding, “But I’m just one person. And if it was shelved, I would have to think that it was shelved for the right reasons and it was a good business decision.” With a slight side-eye, Cena said of Warner Bros. Discovery's decision-making, “I think I would have tremendous regret and shame if I look back on the legacy of the movie, and it was shelved for reasons other than that.”
“So I have to believe in the process,” Cena judiciously summarized. “And I love the movie, my heart and soul is in there, but it’s somebody else’s project to do what they want with and they’ve chosen accordingly.”
Spoken like someone who wants to make Peacemaker Season Three on Max and doesn't care how many men, women and children’s movies he has to kill to get it.
