'Duke Nukem' movie news: John Cena in talks to star in video game movie adaptation

Promotional image for "Duke Nukem Forever"Steam

Once again, fans might be able to see John Cena in another explosive pop culture role, as the wrestling champion is now in talks for the role of Duke in a "Duke Nukem" movie.

Cena is now in negotiations with Paramount, which is the studio responsible for the production of the said video game movie adaptation. The project is also set up at Paramount-based Platinum Dunes, which is operated by Michael Bay, Andrew Form, and Brad Fuller. That said, fans of "Duke Nukem" might want to hold their excitement since there is no director yet for the upcoming project.

Still, Michael Bay, director of the grandiloquent "Transformers" movie adaptations, will likely be involved or perhaps even be necessary for a film of "Duke Nukem's" caliber. There is also a big chance that Cena might be chosen for the role since apart from having a similar facade to Duke, the 40-year-old wrestler/actor also has connections to Bay. This was because Cena is also set to star in upcoming "Transformers" prequel "Bumblebee: The Movie."

Right now, though, "Duke Nukem" has not even begun its pre-production stage yet since there is no director at the moment, though things might progress quickly enough if an actor gets cast for the role. This also might mark one of Cena's first big action role in Hollywood should he be picked.

For those unfamiliar, "Duke Nukem" is a video game series named for its titular protagonist. The title was initially created for IBM-compatible PCs but was also ported to other platforms and has since spawned four games; 1991's "Duke Nukem," 1993's "Duke Nukem II," the multi-platform "Duke Nukem 3D" from 1996, and 2011's disappointingly belated "Duke Nukem Forever."

The character is quite famous in pop culture for being the embodiment and satirical representation of the typical male action hero driven by the macho culture and obscene manifestations of testosterone, which may not be too difficult for Cena given his wrestling career.