John Cena Reveals the Touching Reason Why Warner Bros.’ Initial Decision to Shelve Coyote vs. Acme Didn’t Devastate Him
John Cena opened up about the graceful way he handled Warner Bros.’ infamously unpopular decision to shelve Coyote vs. Acme back in 2023 and how James Gunn’s influence on the film still lingers.
Coyote vs. Acme is finally headed toward its long-awaited theatrical release on August 28, 2026. It’s been a yearslong battle to get it on the silver screen after Warner Bros. shelved the project, originally intended as a Max streaming exclusive, in favor of focusing on feature films with cinema showings.
Things are finally back on track, but it took a lot of doing. Thanks to fan outcry and an industry campaign, Coyote vs. Acme is getting the Hollywood treatment it deserves, and it’s already being met with rave reviews.
IGN’s Tom Jorgensen got the chance to sit down with the film’s cast prior to its August 28 release, where he asked if there were any particular moments from the film they’d be disappointed would never see the light of day back when the project got shuttered.
While cast members like Will Forte expressed some sadness about not being able to watch the film with his children, John Cena had a decidedly different approach to managing his emotions around the setback.
“I’m not sure I look at it like that,” Cena said. “Rather than look at any experience of life like, ‘if only,’ I was very grateful to have worked with these two, to have been directed to become a better performer, to make friends along the way. I just choose not to look at it like that. Because all that stuff, all that kerfuffle is so far beyond my reach and control.”
“I think what we hope to do is carry the torch and carry the flame for these characters the best we can,” director Dave Green added. “Because we are just temporary custodians of this historic, legacy IP. It’s just an honor to be able to play in that sandbox at all. I was kind of feeling like, ‘It’s too bad that kids won’t be able to grow up on a new iteration of Looney Tunes that hopefully carries that legacy tone and voice.’ But hey, we're sitting here with you today. It worked out.”
The group also discussed James Gunn’s lasting impact on the movie. Gunn pitched the project over a decade ago, co-writing the story and even bringing in Cena to star after personally recommending the script to him.
Cena referenced the famous article written by Ian Frazier for The New Yorker magazine back in 1990, which ultimately inspired the movie. It was a humorous, satirical piece that outlined a fake lawsuit against Acme on Wile E. Coyote’s behalf.
“It is on the square,” Cena said of Gunn’s narrative flair. “I think James takes the outlandish and leans into the straightness of it. The article was written of ‘what if?’ Like, ‘Hey, for 75 years we’ve been watching this wrong?’ And that’s like, ‘Oh my god, I have.’ That’s James Gunn. He’s a guy who will take the picture on the wall, and turn it like that, and you’ll be like, ‘What?’ …I know and love James, and from the time we shared, that’s him.”
Coyote vs. Acme is shaping up to be one of the best-received films of the year, debuting on Rotten Tomatoes with a 100% score. IGN’s Clint Gage gave it a 9 out of 10, saying the movie “shows why Looney Tunes are just as funny now as they’ve ever been, with a film that’s an amazingly meta answer to corporate shenanigans.”
Image Credits: Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty Images
Virginia (she/her) is IGN’s News Editor. With ten years of experience reporting on games and entertainment, she’s got a storied background in the fighting game community, influencer news, and viral online trends. Find her on Twitter at @TheeMissGlaze.