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SALT LAKE CITY — John Cena, one of the most recognizable figures in WWE wrestling, is joining the celebrity lineup coming to Salt Lake Comic Con next month.
Cena was announced Friday as the latest guest coming to Utah's favorite comic and pop culture convention. In addition to his worldwide wrestling fame, Cena has starred in movies including "The Marine" and "Trainwreck," appeared on TV and in video games, and has released a number of songs as a hiphop and rap musician.
In a release Friday, the founders of Salt Lake Comic Con — an event known for its delightfully nerdy atmosphere, costumes and guest ensemble — noted Friday that the formidable athlete also has a bit of a nerdy side. Cena enjoys Japanese anime (his favorite movie is "Fist of the North Star") and video games.
Show producer Dan Farr said scoring an appearance by Cena is a win for the convention and his fans in Utah.
"We know many of our fans are wrestling and WWE fans, but Cena is so such more than a wrestler," Farr said. "He's an entertainer that has created a huge fan base in film, TV, music and fashion. He understands what it means to interact with his fan base and will be a natural fit for comic con fans and fans of pop culture of all genres."
Salt Lake Comic Con co-founder Bryan Brandenburg hinted Friday that fan-favorite Cena is just the beginning of a wave of high-profile celebrity announcements leading up to the three-day event.
"With over 42 million fans on Facebook, he's one of the most admired pop culture heroes in the world. We're excited to have Cena join an already stellar lineup and have more high profile guests like him to announce as we get closer to our comic con in September. Like Cena, we never give up and are committed to making our fans' dreams come true," Brandenburg said.
A number of Salt Lake Comic Con events are also planned leading up the convention, including participating Sunday in the ninth annual downtown Zombie Walk, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Salt Lake City-County Building. Fans vying for tickets can participate in a costumed scavenger hunt on Aug. 13, or race in the Heroes Versus Villains 5K on Aug. 27.
Salt Lake Comic Con will return to the Salt Palace Convention Center on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 1-3. Organizers announced this week that 50,000 tickets have been sold for the event, which last fall topped 120,000 guests at its peak.
Guests announced so far include Salt Lake Comic Con alumni William Shatner, the original Captain Kirk in "Star Trek," and Lou Ferrigno, "The Incredible Hulk"; Michael Rooker, "Guardians of the Galaxy" and "The Walking Dead"; Ian Somerhalder, "The Vampire Diaries" and "Lost"; Ruth Connell, "Supernatural" and "Disney Infinity"; Billy Boyd, "Lord of the Rings"; Manu Bennett of "Arrow" and The Hobbit Trilogy; Ming Chen, Bryan Johnson and Michael Zapcic of "Comic Book Men"; and "The Dukes of Hazzard" trio John Schneider, Tom Wopat and Catherine Bach.
