On a recent episode of the Shut Up and Wrestle podcast, host and former WWE magazine writer Brian Solomon revealed that the 2006 action film The Marine was originally developed as a starring vehicle for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Solomon, who had the opportunity to read early scripts during his time with the company, detailed the initial vision for the project.
Solomon explained that during the early days of WWE Films, scripts were sometimes circulated to his department for feedback. After reading the original script for The Marine, he felt it had significant potential with its intended star. He described the project as an “’80s flashback action movie” in the vein of films starring Sylvester Stallone or Arnold Schwarzenegger.
A Potential ‘Major Hit’ With Austin
According to Solomon, the script was specifically written for Steve Austin, who was still one of the biggest stars in the industry at the time. “I remember thinking, like, they could really have a major hit on their hands,” Solomon said. “This could be like a retro action movie sleeper hit… with the right cast, this could actually be really, really damn good.”
The plan was derailed by one of the most well-known events of that era. Solomon noted that the project was shelved after Austin famously walked out of WWE in 2002. “The movie sort of like sat on a shelf for a little while until they figured out what to do with it, and it wound up with Cena,” Solomon explained.
A Change In Casting
The role was ultimately given to John Cena, who was still a rising star and had not yet become the main event mainstay he is known as today. Solomon believed this change negatively impacted the film’s potential at the time. He stated that he felt the movie was “doomed” by the casting change, because at that point, Cena “was just not a very known entity. He was just starting out. He was a rookie, he was unproven.”
The Marine was released in 2006 and served as John Cena’s feature film debut. While receiving mixed reviews, the movie spawned a long-running direct-to-video franchise that has produced five sequels starring other WWE wrestlers like Ted DiBiase Jr. and The Miz. John Cena would go on to have a decorated career as one of WWE’s top stars before becoming a major Hollywood actor.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Shut Up and Wrestle with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
