Welcome to the Deep Dive. We're here to break
down complex topics using solid source material,
making it all digestible and clear for you. Exactly.
And today, wow, we've got a big one. John Cena.
He really is monumental, isn't he? We're talking
about a career that just explodes across so many
areas. Pro wrestling legend, obviously, Hollywood
star, music, and philanthropy on a scale that's,
well, it's kind of mind -blowing. It really is.
And you can't just look at him as, you know,
an athlete or an axer separately our sources
paint this picture of a carefully meticulously
built cultural figure right someone who reinvented
himself multiple times i mean think about it
college football player bodybuilder then this
sort of prototype wrestler then the rapper yeah
the doctor of hugonomics right then for nearly
two decades the ultimate good guy the face of
the company and now well now this final twist
as the villain It's quite a journey. It really
is. And our sources are pretty extensive here,
tracking all those records, the creative shifts,
his global reach. So our mission, our goal today,
is to really unpack those key eras. Figure out
what made his WWE dominance so effective, but
also so polarizing, right? Definitely polarizing.
Then look at how that Hollywood transition actually
happened, how it worked. And crucially, understand
the sheer scale of his charity work. Especially
Make -A -Wish. And you have to see it all through
the lens of where he ended up. Right. Becoming
that 17 time world champion, but only after turning
heel and ending his own like Guinness World Record
for being a hero. Yeah, that 2025 heel turn is
the key, isn't it? Sort of forces you to reexamine
everything that came before. Absolutely. That
whole hustle, loyalty, respect mantra. We need
to see how his actual background fed into that
character and maybe why that character eventually
had to, well, die for the story to conclude.
Okay, let's lay that foundation then. Where does
it all begin? West Newbury, Massachusetts, April
23, 1977. And the surprising part, looking at
the sources, is how grounded his early life seems.
Yeah. You know, compared to the larger -than
-life... persona later, very practical, academic
even. That's a great point. It's often overlooked.
His physical resilience, which became such a
trademark, it wasn't just toughness, it was informed.
Informed how? Well, he went to Central Catholic
High School, then Cushing Academy, and then Springfield
College, graduated in 99. His degree... Exercise
physiology and kinesiology. Okay. So he actually
studied the science behind physical performance.
Exactly. He was even an NCAA Division III All
-American center on the football team. team captain
this isn't your typical backstory for a future
wwe champion so that hustle part it wasn't just
a slogan it was built on like actual knowledge
of training recovery right which helps explain
you know his incredible longevity later on and
those almost unbelievable recovery times from
serious injuries he understood his body but the
discipline was there before the money definitely
Post -college, he was into bodybuilding, yeah,
but he was also working regular jobs. Sources
say he drove a limousine for a bit. Really? A
limo driver? Yeah, and worked at Gold's Gym,
like in the store area, for supposedly six bucks
an hour. So that hustle, that work ethic, it
feels like it came from a place of real necessity.
He had to grind. And that grind eventually led
him to wrestling. California, 1999. Ultimate
Pro Wrestling's training school. UPW's ultimate
university, yeah. And his first gimmick, the
prototype. Sounds functional. It was. Semi -robotic,
kind of presented as flawless. He even held their
title, the UPW Heavyweight Championship, back
in 2000. But it shows how wrestlers often start
with something that doesn't quite land, you know?
Lack the personality. Totally. Technically sound,
maybe, but not... The charisma you need for the
big leagues. Still, that technical skill got
him noticed. WWE developmental deal in 2001.
Ohio Valley Wrestling, OVW. And this is where
things get really interesting historically. Because
OVW at that time. Wow. Yeah, the talent pool
was insane. It's almost hard to believe, right?
Cena, Brock Lesnar, Randy Orton, Dave Bautista,
all there training together. That OVW4, as they're
sometimes called. This would have been intense.
Imagine that environment. pushing each other
every single day. Cena won titles there too,
heavyweight, tag team. But the real development
was probably just surviving that level of competition.
So he makes the main roster. June 2002, answers
Kurt Angle's open challenge, famously declares
ruthless aggression. But he's still pretty generic
at this point, right? Just an athletic, good
guy. Exactly. The character that really launched
him, that came later. And apparently it was almost
an accident. Yeah, the origin story is classic
wrestling lore. He's kind of floundering maybe
a few months in. Right. And the story goes, he's
on a tour bus, long ride, just messing around,
freestyling some raps. Just for fun. Yeah, apparently.
And Stephanie McMahon overhews him. Paul Heyman,
too, some versions say. And they just instantly
see it. See what? That this sarcastic, kind of
arrogant, funny, white rapper persona, that was
the unique hook he needed. It was the perfect
contrast. to the bland baby face. Wow. So a random
freestyle session boosts the doctor of thugonomics.
Pretty much. And it was exactly what wrestling
needed at that moment, post -attitude era. It
gave him a voice, an identity. And you went full
heel with it. Oh yeah. The throwback jerseys,
the hats, the chain, the padlock, and those wraps.
They were edgy, sometimes controversial, but
man, they got him noticed. So that villain run
in 2002, 2003. That was crucial. Absolutely essential.
It made him a major player, a guy people love
to hate. And that set the stage perfectly for
the huge heroic turn that would eventually define
him. You gotta be the bad guy sometimes before
you can be the ultimate good guy, Ramey. Makes
sense. And that Suganomics persona definitely
had legs. WrestleMania Gex, 2004. He beats Big
Show for the U .S. title. His first singles gold
on the main roster. And what does he do immediately?
Introduces the spinner belt. Exactly. That custom
spinner U .S. title. It was such a statement
piece. Flashy, kind of brash, totally tapped
into hip hop culture at the time. Made him instantly
connect with a younger audience. But even then,
early on. They had to use some storyline trickery
for his outside projects. You're talking about
the Carlito feud. Yeah, the the kayfabe stabbing.
Right. So he loses the U .S. title to Carlito.
And then. To write him off TV so he could film
the Marine, they ran an angle where he supposedly
got stabbed in a nightclub by Carlito's bodyguard.
Sounds pretty dramatic. Why do it that way? Well,
it worked on a few levels. Gave him the time
off he needed for the movie, obviously. Generated
instant sympathy for his character. The hero
gets taken out unfairly. Ah, okay. And then when
he comes back seeking revenge relatively quickly,
it reinforces that he's tough. resilient, untouchable
almost. It laid the groundwork for that whole
never give up thing before it was even a catchphrase.
Smart storytelling. And when he came back, he
was clearly positioned for the top spot. Absolutely
primed. WrestleMania 21, he beats JBL, wins his
first WWE championship. And from that point on...
He's the guy. The top face. The main hero of
the company. And not just for a little while.
This is where it gets historic. Our sources confirm
he was continuously a heroic character, a face,
from basically late 2003 right up until that
heel turn in early 2025. How long is that again?
You get this. 7 ,786 days. Wow. It's a Guinness
World Record. Longest continuous run as a heroic
character in WWE. Think about maintaining that
persona, that image of integrity, for over 20
years of constant travel performance. It's staggering
commitment. But, okay, let's be real. That commitment,
that long run, it wasn't universally loved. Oh,
not even close. Hugely polarizing is the term.
The sources talk about praise for his character
work, his promos, connecting with kids, but also
constant criticism. Perceived. over -representation,
on -screen dominance. He became the ultimate
lightning rod, didn't he? On one hand, he was
incredibly successful with families, kids loved
him, merchandise sales were through the roof.
Right, the bright colors, the slogans. But on
the other hand, a large chunk of the older, maybe
more hardcore audience, they really resented
him. Why do you think? They felt he was, you
know, Super Cena, always winning, overcoming
impossible odds. They felt his... Don has kind
of stifled other wrestlers they preferred, guys
who maybe had a more edgy attitude era vibe.
And the crowd reactions could get really nasty.
Oh, yeah. The prime example is ECW One Night
Stand 2006. He loses the title to Rob Van Dam
in front of this super hostile ECW crowd. I remember
seeing clips. It looked brutal. It was intense.
Chants, signs saying, if Cena wins, we riot.
people throwing stuff. It wasn't just playful
booing. It felt like genuine hatred from that
specific audience. But WWE kind of leaned into
it, didn't they? They absolutely did. They realized
the division itself was good for business. Half
the crowd loves him passionately. The other half
hates him passionately. Everyone pays to see
what happens. It guaranteed huge reactions, win
or lose. This era also cemented his in -ring
style, which... also drew its fair share of criticism.
The five moves of doom. Ah, yes, the infamous
sequence. Break it down for us. Why was it so
controversial? Okay, so it became this predictable
sequence in most of his big matches. Flying shoulder
block, another flying shoulder block, then the
sit -out hip toss, which he called the proto
-bomb. Okay. Then the five knuckle shuffle, taunt,
and fist drop. And finally, the finishing move,
the attitude adjustment. So very repetitive.
Exactly. Critics argued it lacked creativity,
technical skill, especially compared to guys
like, well, his OVW classmates or later rivals
like CM Punk. It felt formulaic. But was it effective?
From a storytelling perspective, absolutely.
That predictability built massive anticipation
for the opponent kicking out of the finisher.
And for the younger audience WWE was courting,
it was easy to follow, easy to get excited about.
Simple, clear, heroic comeback. And the names
of those moves? Yeah. They even had to change,
right? Because of a bigger company shift. That's
right. Around 2008, WWE shifted from its edgier
TV -14 rating to a more family -friendly TV -PG
rating. Okay. So his original finisher, the FU...
Which was kind of a playful shot at Brock Lesnar's
F5. That wasn't going to fly in the PG era. Makes
sense. So it became the attitude adjustment.
And his submission hold, the STFU, shortened
to just the STF. It was all part of sanitizing
the product, making it more advertiser friendly.
And Cena, as the top guy, was central to that
rebranding. His look changed too, moving away
from the rapper gear. Yeah, especially after
filming Marine in 2006. The jerseys and baggy
shorts started disappearing. Replaced by dog
tags. cargo shorts, and incorporating that military
salute as a sign of respect for the armed forces,
it all cemented that image. Patriotic, wholesome,
the ultimate role model for the PG era audience.
Okay, one more thing from this era. His toughness.
Those injury returns. They seemed almost superhuman.
They really did. It almost felt like part of
the storyline, but it was real. Two major ones
stand out. 2007, he tears his... pectoral muscle
completely off the bone that's usually what nine
months maybe a year out he had been championed
for 380 days had to vacate the title and he came
back in less than four months no way yes his
surprise return at the 2008 royal rumble entering
at number 30 and winning the whole thing nobody
saw it coming it was one of the biggest pops
biggest reactions That's insane recovery. And
he did it again later that year with a serious
neck injury. Needing surgery came back way faster
than expected again. There's that ESPN quote
comparing his recovery to like experimental therapies.
Deadpool. Deadpool. Okay. It just highlights
how his ability to heal quickly became legendary.
It perfectly reinforced that never give up persona.
It wasn't just words. He lived it physically.
Moving into the 2010s, we get some really interesting
storylines. The Nexus angle was a big one. Oh,
yeah. That was fascinating because it put Cena
in a position we'd never seen him in. Forced
subservience. Right. He lost that match to Wade
Barrett at Hell in a Cell in 2010. The stipulation
was he had to join Nexus if he lost. Which he
did. So suddenly the Ultimate Hero is part of
this destructive villainous faction. It created
this great internal conflict for his character.
How could he be loyal to Nexus while still being...
Well, John Cena. Exactly. That was the drama.
And of course, he couldn't maintain it. He eventually
defies Barrett, costs him the WWE title at Survivor
Series. Which led to him being fired, kayfabe
style. Right. But his response was pure Cena
character work. Does he just leave? No. He starts
showing up anyway, invading Raw, taking out Nexus
members one by one, completely outside the company
structure. Still embodying hustle, loyalty, respect,
even when unemployed. Precisely. Until they had
no choice but to rehire him. It was a clever
way to reinforce his core values, even through
a period of storyline humiliation. This decade
also gave us the feuds that really defined WWE's
business at the time. The Rock and CM Punk. Let's
start with The Rock. That was just massive. A
spectacle on a whole different level. They announced
the main event for WrestleMania XC8 a full year
in advance, right? Once in a lifetime. Unprecedented
at the time. It showed incredible confidence,
pitting their current top star, Cena, against
arguably the biggest crossover star wrestling
had ever produced, The Rock, returning home.
And the numbers were huge. Record -breaking.
WrestleMania 28 did something like 1 .2 million
pay -per -view buys, highest -grossing live event
in WWE history up to that point, nearly $9 million
gate. Just enormous business. And Cena lost that
first match. He did, which set up the rematch
the following year, WrestleMania 29, Greatness
vs. Redemption. And that did even better. grossed
even more money live, immediately broke the record
set the year before. It proved that Cena, win
or lose, was the engine driving WWE's biggest
possible successes. He was the constant. So the
Rock feud was the blockbuster spectacle. What
about CM Punk? If Rock was the spectacle, Punk
was the critical darling. Their feud, especially
in the match at Money in the Bank 2011 in Chicago.
Yeah. That's legendary for different reasons.
Why that match specifically? It received the
coveted five -star rating from Dave Meltzer's
Wrestling Observer newsletter. Explain why that
five -star rating matters so much in wrestling
circles. It's basically the gold standard for
critical acclaim. It signifies near perfection
in terms of in -ring work, storytelling, crowd
reaction, emotional depth, everything coming
together. And Cena getting that rating was significant.
Hugely significant because Cena, you know, often
faced criticism for his ring work being basic.
Getting a five star match, especially against
a technical master like Punk, proved he could
absolutely deliver at the highest artistic level
when the story demanded it. It silenced a lot
of critics, at least temporarily. He won Match
of the Year awards for both the Punk and Rock
bouts, actually. OK, fast forward a bit to 2015,
the U .S. Championship Open Challenge. This felt
different. It really did. It felt like Cena consciously
using his main event status to elevate others.
How did it work? During his fourth run with the
US title, he basically said, anyone in the back
wants a shot, come get it. Every week on Raw,
he'd defend the title against whoever stepped
up. And we got some great matches out of it.
Fantastic matches against guys like Dean Ambrose,
Cesaro, Sami Zayn even got a shot early on. Kevin
Owens debuted against him. It really showcased
the depth of the roster and gave these guys a
huge platform. Sounds purely positive. But the
sources mentioned some criticism about the long
-term effect. Devil's advocate time. Yeah, there's
a valid critique there. While the matches themselves
were often excellent, the analysis, particularly
from folks like Will Pruitt, pointed out that
Cena usually won the feud in the end. So the
challenger gets a great match, maybe even a surprise
win. Right. Like Kevin Owens beat Cena clean
in their first match, which was huge. But then
Cena won the next two encounters. So the argument
is, while these guys got elevated temporarily,
they often ended up still positioned definitively
below Cena. So did the open challenge ultimately
fail to build new main eventers? Because Cena
always had to come out on top eventually. Was
it more about reinforcing Cena's resilience yet
again? That's the crux of the debate, isn't it?
It highlights that tension in the Cena era. He
was so valuable, such a draw, the company arguably
couldn't afford for him to lose too much or look
weak for long. So opponents got the rub, but
maybe not the final push over the top. commercial
reality versus narrative potential, perhaps.
And physically, he was still pushing through
incredible pain during this time, that broken
nose. Oh, yeah. July 2015, match against Seth
Rollins for the U .S. title. Rollins hits him
with a knee, just shatters his nose. It looked
horrific. But he finished the match. Of course
he did. Blood everywhere, nose clearly mangled.
But he finished the match and won. That image,
that moment, it was pure Cena. Physical proof
that never give up wasn't just marketing. It
was his reality in that role. That toughness,
that commitment. Yeah. It definitely helped pave
the way for Hollywood, didn't it? Though his
path was maybe a bit different. Yeah. Early on,
it was mostly WWE Studios films like The Marine,
12 Rounds, action stuff. But the real turning
point for his acting career came when he shifted
gears. Towards comedy. Exactly. Deliberately
choosing roles in comedies like Trainwreck in
2015 and especially Blockers in 2018. That was
huge for him. Why was comedy the key? He's a
big action looking guy. Because it showed range.
It proved he wasn't just a muscle -bound action
hero. He had comedic timing. He could be vulnerable,
self -deprecating. Blockers, in particular, really
opened Hollywood's eyes. It showed he could be
funny and sensitive. And that led to bigger things.
Absolutely. Leading roles in Bumblebee, joining
the Fast Saga and F9 as Jacob Toretto, Dom's
brother, and then landing his own critically
acclaimed TV series, Peacemaker, starting in
2022, that showed he could carry a complex character
and a major series. He really did become that.
That monocultural crossover star, the New York
Times called him. Following guys like Hogan,
Austin, The Rock. Maybe the last one. It's possible.
In today's fractured media world, it's so hard
for one person to be everywhere. Recognized by
everyone, Sina managed it. But being that global.
It comes with pressures. Like the F9 incident
in China? Precisely. During the promotional tour
in 2021, he referred to Taiwan as the country,
which is a politically very sensitive territory
regarding mainland China's policy. And the reaction?
Immediate backlash online. And very quickly,
Sina posted an apology video on Weibo, a major
Chinese social media platform, speaking fluent
Mandarin. Wow, fluent Mandarin. Yeah, he'd been
learning it for years to help WWE's expansion
efforts. But the apology itself? saying he made
a mistake and loved and respected China. It showed
the tightrope global stars have to walk now,
balancing personal expression, political realities,
and massive international box office stakes.
Beyond acting, he kept up other interests, too.
Music. Yep. His rap album, You Can't See Me,
back in 2005, actually did pretty well. Hit number
15 on the Billboard 200 chart. He did it with
his cousin, Ty Trademark. And that musicality
popped up later, unexpectedly. Right. And Peacemaker.
Turns out he's a self -taught pianist. There's
a great scene where he plays this really heartfelt
version of Muttley Crue's Home Sweet Home. It
added this surprising layer to the character
and to Cena himself. He seemed to be everywhere
in media, too. Hosting shows? Hosted American
Grit for a couple of seasons, hosted the Nickelodeon
Kids' Choice Awards two years running, and then
there was the 2024 Oscar. Ah, yes, the near -nude
appearance. Huh. Yeah, presenting the award for
best costume design while wearing, well, basically
just sandals in the results envelope strategically
placed. It was a callback to a famous streaker
incident from decades ago. Whiskey. But hilarious.
It showed he didn't take himself too seriously,
willing to do almost anything for a comedic bit.
That kind of thing helps you stay relevant in
pop culture. Okay, but amidst all the wrestling,
acting, music, comedy, there's one aspect of
his career that stands completely apart. his
philanthropy, specifically Make -A -Wish. This
is absolutely central to understanding Sina's
legacy. It's not just a side thing, it's defining.
The numbers are just hard to comprehend. Over
650 wishes granted for the Make -A -Wish Foundation
for children facing critical illnesses. It's
150. And to put that in perspective, Guinness
World Records confirmed it in 2022. They noted
the person in second place had granted fewer
than 200 wishes. That gap is enormous. What does
it take to grant that many wishes? It takes an
unbelievable amount of time, dedication and prioritizing
it above almost everything else. These aren't
just quick meet and greets. It often means spending
real quality time talking with the kids, being
that larger than life hero for them. It requires
constant travel coordination, emotional energy.
It's a staggering level of personal commitment
over two decades. It almost provides a kind of.
moral shield, doesn't it? It absolutely does.
No matter what his onscreen character does, no
matter the controversies or criticisms, that
real world impact is undeniable and unparalleled.
It anchors his entire legacy in something genuinely
good. And speaking of legacy and branding, let's
touch on those catchphrases and quirks again.
Hustle, loyalty, respect, never give up. The
salute. Those are the core tenets, yeah. The
salute became his way of acknowledging the military
connection. But the origin of his most famous
taunt, you can't see me, is way funnier. I heard
it involved his brother. That's the story. Apparently
his younger brother dared him to do the yayo
dance, which was a thing back then, but in reverse,
while waving his hand in front of his face like,
you can't see me. It's just a silly dare. Yeah.
Sina thought it was funny, did it on TV, and
it just exploded. It became this huge global
taunt, instantly recognizable. It came from just
messing around with his brother. That's amazing.
And his willingness to try things, like learning
Mandarin, that led to other unexpected internet
fame. Like the Bing chilling meme. Right. Explain
that one. So he's posting videos in Mandarin
on social media, part of that effort to connect
with the Chinese market. In one video, he's enthusiastically
eating ice cream and saying, bingquilin, which
means ice cream. Okay. But the way he said it,
combined with his intense delivery, it got misheard
or memed as bingchilling. It went viral, completely
separate from its original context. Just another
example of his weird global reach. And one last
weird footnote. The Ford GT lawsuit. Oh yeah,
that was bizarre. Ford sued him back in 2017.
Why? Because he bought one of their very limited
edition Ford GT supercars. Okay, rich guy buys
expensive car. So what? But the contract stipulated
buyers had to keep the car for at least two years
to prevent people from immediately flipping them
for a profit. And Sina sold his early. Oops.
Yeah. They settled the lawsuit. Sina apologized
and Ford apparently donated the settlement money
to charity. So even a legal hiccup ended up having
a charitable outcome somehow. Which brings us
pretty much up to date. The final chapter. July
2024. He announces the end is near. Retirement
from full -time wrestling at the end of 2025.
Sets up the big farewell tour. Everyone expects
maybe some emotional goodbyes, passing the torch.
But that's not what happened. Not at all. Elimination
Chamber 2025. He wins a match, earns a title
shot, and then brutally attacks Cody Rhodes,
the guy who's basically the new top baby face.
Then aligns with The Rock and Travis Scott. Exactly.
A full, undeniable, shocking heel turn. His first
time being a villain since way back in 2003.
And just like that. The Guinness World Record?
7 ,786 days as a hero? Gone. Proof. Ended by
his own actions. Why do it? Why throw away that
decades -long heroic identity right at the very
end? Drama. Impact. Closure, maybe. As a hero,
what mountains were left for him to climb? By
turning heel, aligning with the biggest star
on the planet in the rock, betraying the new
hero, he instantly became the biggest possible
antagonist for his final storyline. Maximum heat,
maximum attention. And that final storyline led
him to WrestleMania 41. Where he achieved that
one last goal. Winning the undisputed WWE Championship.
Beating Roman Reigns. Becoming a record -setting
17 -time world champion. Tying Ric Flair's recognized
record. Officially surpassing it in WWE's eyes.
And the promos he could after winning. They were
something else. How so? Just dripping with bitterness
and arrogance, criticizing the fans for booing
him all those years, saying they never appreciated
his sacrifice, vowing to, quote, ruin wrestling.
It was the complete opposite of the Cena we knew
for 20 years. Almost like letting out two decades
of pent -up frustration. It felt like that. It
added this really complex, almost cynical layer
to his entire career right as it was ending,
made you rethink everything. So when you look
back at the whole career, how do his peers view
him, the people in the industry? Overwhelmingly
positive. You hear guys like Kurt Angle, Paul
Heyman, JBL legends themselves. calling him flat
out the greatest professional wrestler of all
time. That's high praise. And Vince McMahon called
him the Babe Ruth of WWE, comparing him to the
iconic American sports figure. That tells you
the kind of impact they feel he had, both in
the ring and as a global ambassador. And the
media perspective, like that New York Times quote
about him being maybe the last monocultural crossover
star. I think that's really insightful. Hogan,
Austin, Rock, Cena. They reached a level of mainstream
fame, cutting across all demographics. That feels
almost impossible today with media being so fragmented.
Cena might really be the last of that breed.
Kids knew him from WWE and Nickelodeon. Adults
knew him from movies and shows like Peacemaker.
He was just everywhere. And the business impact
is undeniable. Those WrestleMania records with
The Rock. Consecutive years setting new benchmarks
for live gate revenue and PPV buys at the time.
His presence absolutely guaranteed massive commercial
success for WWE's biggest events. And summing
it all up, what's the legacy? It's defined by,
I think, incredible longevity, that unbelievable
physical resilience and this constant adaptability.
He fully committed to that hustle, loyalty, respect
brand for decades, even learning Mandarin for
the company. He turned dedication into just ubiquity,
being everywhere all the time. Okay, so let's
recap the highlights. Records galore, 17 world
titles, five U .S. titles, match of the year
awards, business records. But then there's the
other side, over 650 Make -A -Wish grants. That
7 ,786 -day run as a hero, those almost seem
bigger in a way. They feel different, yeah, more
personal. And that final heel turn just throws
a fascinating curveball into how we process all
of it. It complicates the narrative beautifully.
Which leads us to the final thought, the question
we want to leave you, the listener, with. Go
for it. Okay. Given John Cena's genuinely unprecedented
record of philanthropy, the 650 -plus wishes,
the real -world good he championed for so long,
How do you reconcile that legacy with this final
onscreen persona, the one claiming to ruin wrestling,
the one criticizing the very fans who fueled
his career? Was that final heel turn a betrayal
of the hustle, loyalty, respect legacy? Or was
it maybe just a necessary, dramatic, even maybe
a cathartic way to finally close the book on
the story of the last true crossover star? proving
that sometimes even the ultimate hero needs to
become the villain to finally exit the stage.
Something to definitely think about. Absolutely.
Ponder that one as you process this deep dive.