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What are WWE Superstars? Vince McMahon would probably list a glossary of terms but in reality, most wrestling fans recognize as larger-than-life characters and more importantly, that they are skin to real-life superheroes.
WWE Superstars are like real-life Superheroes
Hulk Hogan would certainly qualify, as in the 80s, he was that and so much more. In a recent interview, Edge recalled seeing him for the first time and thinking that this was Thor and The Incredible Hulk come to life. The experience is different for many, but the effect seems to be the same.
With superheroes in the 21st Century now being a regular feature on television and movies, it makes sense that they would either cast wrestlers in suppporting or lead roles. A clear example of this is the casting of The Rock in Black Adam. Once released, it will mark the debut of The Great One in the DCEU.
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Batista has found great success as Drax in the Marvel Universe and John Cena will be seen in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad. With that said, the recent success stories of WWE Superstars started a long time ago and laid the groundwork for them becoming essential elements in these fantastical worlds.
Moreover, Science Fiction tends to favor an occurrence by WWE Superstars whether it would be The Rock in Star Trek: Voyager or other star in small roles in big budget films. The greater point is their presence either elevates a production or adds value to it in more ways than one.
Here are 10 fascinating WWE cameos in Sci-fi or Superhero movies and TV shows.
#9 Eve Torres in Supergirl (2016)
Eve Torres was a 3-time WWE Divas Champion and had some memorable moments during her time with the company. Most notably was her spot during the John Cena and Zack Ryder storyline.
Since her 'apparent retirement' as an in-ring performer from WWE, Eve Torres has been married to Rener Gracie, member of the famous Gracie Family. She now has 2 children with him.
Torres has acted in a few films and was lucky enough to land the role of Maxima in the hit DC Comics show, Supergirl. In an interview, Torres didn't audition for the role and said:
"I had worked with co-executive producer Larry Teng on El Rey’s “Matador,” and Maxima was a role that they were looking for an actress that fit a certain type and I just fit that type."
It's fair to say that Eve Torres performed fairly well in her limited screentime in the episode.
#8 Batista in Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
While Batista may have started in WWE and became known as The Animal, he has soared to new heights after landing the acclaimed role of Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. This led to multiple roles for the former WWE Superstar in films such as Hotel Artemis and Stuber.
But in 2017, he landed a small but memorable role as Sapper Morton in the long-awaited sequel to Blade Runner. Seen in the film's opening scenes, Batista plays an aging replicant who is put out of commission by Ryan Gosling's character.
While the scene is short, Batista gives a performance that leaves the viewers interested as he veers between calm and rage. It lifts the scene and lays the groundwork for the rest of the film.
Batista got the role despite being told he was too young for the part. On Batista's performance in the film, Director Denis Villeneuve said:
"The vulnerability that Dave brought to the character was essential for the movie to be a success."
As a former WWE Superstar known for entertaining people all over the world, Batista has certainly crossed over quite well into another medium.
#7 Goldberg in Universal Solider: The Return (1999)
Before he was the WWE Universal Champion, Goldberg made his film debut in 1999 in critically and box office flop, Universal Soldier: The Return. This movie was a sequel to the Jean Claude Van Damme film made in 1992 and saw him return for this film.
The film also stars Michael Jai White, who plays the principal villain S.E.T.H. The film is best explained as a simple case of an A.I. planning to take over the world and using the infamous UniSol program to do so.
Van Damme, who is a former UniSol, happens to be working with the government to refine the program, but as is the case in such films, everything goes wrong.
Former WWE World Champion Goldberg plays a UniSol named Romeo who helps S.E.T.H take over the facility and achieve his goals. It's safe to say that the movie was not the best way for Goldberg to start his acting career but in terms of physicality, he was well suited for the role of a walking semi-terminator.
Even better, he got to use The Spear in the film.
#6 Edge in The Flash (2015)
Multi-time WWE World Champion Edge got his comic book groove on when he starred as the chief antagonist for an episode of The Flash in 2015. The WWE Hall of Famer is currently enjoying a comeback that many in pro wrestling never thought possible.
While he was away from the industry, Edge spent time getting into acting and starring in shows like Haven and Vikings. In this episode of The Flash, Edge plays Atom Smasher who can manipulate his size and strength. So, in a way, it's a physical manifestation of his WWE nickname, "The Master Manipulator".
Edge said that he really enjoyed the role because of the physical stuff it involved. He said:
"It was also great to be able to do a lot of the physical stuff involved so you won't have to see a stunt guy come in there and take over. I was doing the stuff that was asked, so that was cool."
It's interesting to see whether Edge goes in entertainment after he's done with WWE for good. But on recent evidence, it won't be anytime soon.
#5 Big Show in Star Trek: Enterprise (2004)
Most WWE fans know Big Show as larger than life and is one of more decorated WWE Superstars of all time. His list of achievements is quite remarkable. He is a multi-time WWE World Champion, a multi-time WWE Tag Team Champion and has won other singles titles as well.
Acting is not something the Big Show was alien to. By this point, He already appeared in bit roles in films like The Waterboy and Jingle All The Way. In 2004, he took the role of Orion Slaver #1 as he bellowed his way through the role.
What is fascinating about this scene is how easily he lifts Cmdr. T'Pol (Jolene Blalock) easily as he puts up for sale in the auction. Through the course of the episode, Big Show's scenes are limited. Essentially, he plays the role of evil bad guy who throws his prisoners around.
Interestingly, his last scene in this episode is when he tells T'Pol, as she tries to escape, that he will keep her for himself. She gets away by low blowing him. So in a sense, it's nothing new that Big Show hadn't face in a WWE arena.
#4 Macho Man Randy Savage in Spider-Man (2002)
While he's no longer alive, Macho Man Randy Savage was comfortably in a league of his own with his in-ring antics. His larger-than-life persona always held him in good steed and pushed him to the main-event status where he was quickly one of the better wrestlers on the WWE Rosters and one of the most charismatic.
While acting roles were a minimum, to say the least, the former WWE Superstar did quite a bit of voice-over in cartoons like King of the Hill, Dexter's Laboratory, and films like Bolt. But arguably, his most famous on-screen role came in Spider-Man.
Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, J.K. Simmons, and Willem Dafoe, the film was a gamechanger for the Superhero genre. It broke box office records (at the time) and started a trend in Hollywood that has now evolved into an industry standard.
Moreover, the former WWE Champion's role as wrestler Bone Saw is pivotal to the plot as, in a sense, he is technically Spider-Man's opponent. While Bone Saw does lose the match, Randy Savage is terrific in his cameo appearance and will still be remembered in all the years to come.
#3 Rowdy Roddy Piper in Robocop (1994)
While Robocop was released in 1987, it was an integral film filled with heart, political commentary on greed, and a story of a man trying to regain his humanity. The original movie still holds up as a Cinematic sci-fi classic. It's subsequent sequels and TV series didn't fare as well.
The live-action TV show released in 1994 was a shadow of its cinematic origins with the blood and gore replaced with campy scenes that haven't aged well. One particular entitled Robocop vs. Commander Cash starred none other former WWE Superstar Rowdy Roddy Piper.
Roddy Piper was no stranger to acting as he constantly guest-starred in television shows and even had a cult hit under his belt called They Live, directed by John Carpenter. It's interesting to note that Roddy Piper was one of the few WWE Superstars to crossover into acting in small and vital roles, though never on the same level as The Rock or John Cena.
Moreover, the episode description is also fascinating as it reads:
Children are rioting and stealing all over the city as RoboCop faces his most formidable opponent, a nut case who believes he's a real live version of OCP's super hero, Commander Cash
Considering that the former WWE Superstar dressed in that outfit would ever seriously take on Robocop is debatable. With that said, it remains one of the Roddy Piper's oddest appearances on-screen, though there were more memorable ones down the line.
#2 Andre The Giant in The Six Million Dollar Man (1976)
While Andre The Giant will go as one of the most legendary professional wrestlers in the 20th century, The 8th Wonder of the World did have some acting credits to his name. His most famous role was in The Princess Bride (1987), he was the go-to "star" for characters that demanded a larger-than-life presence. The former WWE Superstar was a guest star in the popular 70s television show, The Six Million Dollar Man.
He played the fabled Bigfoot character in a 2-parter episode called The Secret of Bigfoot.
If people are unaware of the show, it starred Lee Majors as Col. Steve Austin (ironically) who was put back together after a near-fatal test crash. His arms and limbs are replaced by Bionic implants, which invariably have greater strength and speed. For all intents and purposes, he is a Cyborg.
It's safe to say that Andre The Giant doesn't fare well one-on-one with Steve Austin. Perhaps in WWE, he would have been booked differently.
#1 Lex Luger in Superboy (1990)
Believe it or not, Lex Luger was not only a make-believe superhero in WWE, he also happened to guest star in the forgotten TV series, Superboy. The show lasted four seasons and was essentially Superman in his teen years. Mostly, it's like Smallville but with lesser WWE Superstars.
Interestingly, Lex Luger, who was The Narcissist, Made in the USA and The All-American in WWE and The Total Package in WCW, actually got the chance to put on the fabled costume with the most recognized superhero symbol there was.
While he plays Superboy Mark II, it's probably fair to say that his body physique didn't need to be altered to fit into that costume. This role remains one of Lex Luger's known acting roles to date, though it's possible that there were other acting roles that WWE fans haven't seen yet.
It should be noted that Lex Luger was in WCW at this point of his career and hadn't made it to the WWE as of yet. Luger remains one of the few WCW World Champions never to win a title in the WWE. However, he did co-win the WWE Royal Rumble match in 1994 alongside Bret Hart.
When WWE brought WCW in 2001, he never returned to the company.
