Is John Cena in Pluribus? All about the wrestler’s role in the Apple TV series

WWE Live in Turin - Source: Getty
WWE Live in Turin - Source: Getty

Pluribus keeps on amazing the audience of Apple TV with its incredible and disturbing storylines! Moreover, John Cena is also in the series. He is in the sixth episode called H.D.P., where he delivers a short but impressive monologue.

His appearance drew viewers' eyes right away; Cena was talking about one of the series' most bizarre and scandalous plot points: what the hive mind eats. The interaction between Cena and the audience in Pluribus is more like the presentation of a documentary than that of a dramatic one, which is the case with most celebrity guest appearances.

The cameo is a critical part of the exposition that tells both the viewers and the character how the hive mind would live; it also corresponds perfectly with the surreal atmosphere of the show.


John Cena's role in Pluribus Episode 6

In Episode 6 (‘H.D.P.’), Cena appears in a video message that plays roughly 19 minutes into the episode, delivering a monologue that lasts close to three minutes. He describes how the hive mind feeds itself through windfall crops, surplus processed foods, and a human-derived product called HDP, Human Derived Protein, which is taken from dead humans.

Importantly, the video is first viewed by Mr. Diabaté (Samba Schutte) in Las Vegas, after which he shows it to Carol, played by Rhea Seehorn.

This intermediary detail is a key fact: Cena's message is not shown directly out of context to Carol.

The purpose of the cameo is wholly factual: to explain what the hive mind eats and its survival mechanism.


Delivery, context, and filming

John Cena speaks in a completely calm, deadpan, matter-of-fact manner. This jarringly contradicts the surreal and evocative atmospherics of Pluribus. The scene was filmed in Tampa on a soundstage during Cena's day off, with a setup of one primary take plus two additional takes.

According to showrunner Vince Gilligan, Cena was trusted as a figure for Mr. Diabaté, lending credibility to the video within the story. There is no philosophical or ethical comment here beyond the factual explanation of how the hive mind sustains itself through reluctant anthropophagy, unlike what some fans might interpret.


Audience reaction

The cameo is for exposition, clear narration, and nothing else. Audience Response Instantly, Cena's cameo appearance became the talk of the town, not only among the viewers but also among the critics. The media channels like TechRadar, Inverse, and Yahoo labeled the cameo as the wildest cameo of 2025; this way, they emphasized that the appearance was indeed extremely unexpected and unforgettable.

On the other hand, the conversations among the fans about the future of the other celebrities’ appearances after the Joining were just wild guesses, since the official reason given for the cameo was only to serve as the factual explanation of the hive mind.


To sum it up, John Cena is indeed part of Pluribus Episode 6, showing up with a little video monologue explaining how the hive mind gets its food. His presence is real, very calm, and informative, and the first person to see it was Mr. Diabaté, who was later followed by Carol.

The scene is remarkable for its surprise element and clear exposition, with no speculative or philosophical interpretations added. The appearance of the wrestler not only clears up the confusion over one of the most important plot points but also adds to the surreal atmosphere of the series.

The show of Cenatus continues to engage the viewers with the very complicated story of the hive mind, and thus, his cameo is considered one of the most discussed moments of the series up to this time.

Also read: Pluribus Episode 1 explained: Revisiting the obvious questions in the latest sci-fi thriller

Edited by Tanisha Aggarwal