3 Reasons why John Cena should turn babyface and 2 he should remain heel in WWE

John Cena's heel turn at the Elimination Chamber Premium Live Event, earlier this year, came with its pros and cons. While Cena's merchandise sales did take a hit, the fans got to see a version of him that they had never seen in the last two decades. It's been nearly five months since Cena's change in character, and he has beaten legends like Randy Orton, CM Punk, and R-Truth as a heel.

With only six months left in his retirement tour, there's a growing debate about when John Cena will finally turn babyface. A section of fans like his current heel character, while there is another section of fans who don't. There's a contrasting opinion on whether Cena should turn babyface before he retires.

Next month, Cena will square off against Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed WWE Championship at SummerSlam. There are speculations that the 17-time world champion will finally turn babyface at the event, after losing his gold to Rhodes. However, the question is whether Cena should turn babyface or remain a heel.

In this listicle, we will look at three reasons why he should turn babyface and two reasons why he should remain heel. Let's first discuss why he should revert to being a good guy:

#3. The crowd loves John Cena

John Cena has always been the crowd's favorite. He was a hero for 23 years in WWE before he turned heel in 2025. However, what's surprising is that even though he has turned into a villain, the fans continue to see him as a hero. Calling the WWE Universe out for insulting him and not deserving him didn't really make much difference.

The fans still love him, and they cheer him, though he is doing his best to be a villain. On several occasions, Cena has been seen smiling when the crowd cheers for him. This shows that the WWE fans don't really see Cena as a negative character, and they love him to death. His heel turn might have raised eyebrows, but his babyface turn could be even bigger before his retirement.

#2. Hasn't been a heel like Randy Orton or Roman Reigns

John Cena should also turn babyface soon because he hasn't been and won't be a heel like Randy Orton, Triple H, and even Roman Reigns. A heel character needs to get a completely negative reception from the fans, which Cena hasn't gotten because he has been a face for the larger part of his career.

Randy Orton and Triple H have stayed heels for a long time, and they were able to immerse themselves in the role. Even Roman Reigns took a while to be accepted as a heel by the WWE fans, and he stayed in that character for four years.

On the other hand, John Cena hasn't quite been able to fully develop as a heel superstar in his retirement tour. Therefore, he should turn face as soon as possible.

#1. Retiring as a heel would ruin John Cena's legacy in WWE

Retiring from WWE as a heel would ruin John Cena's legacy as a legendary superstar, something he achieved after 23 years of hard work. John Cena was the face of the company, a superstar who made kids and adults fall in love with the product. He took WWE to new heights and was the top guy for over a decade (2005-2015).

Retiring as a villain will wash away years of his hard work and the effort he had to put in to become the hero for his fans. It would also be unfair to a lot of young fans who have adored him over the years. Therefore, he should turn babyface and then sign off on a high.

Now, let's look at two reasons why John Cena should remain a heel.

#2. Remain The Rock's ally and later feud with Triple H to take over creative control

If John Cena has turned heel, then he should stay one for a significant period, even after he retires from in-ring competition. Cena has said that once he retires from WWE, he will never return to wrestling. However, he didn't say that he wouldn't appear in any other capacity. There have been wrestlers who have retired from wrestling, but they took other backstage roles in WWE.

John Cena could follow a similar path. He is The Rock's corporate champion currently, and his role could even extend beyond wrestling. It's rumored that The Rock and Triple H share a power struggle in WWE. If Cena retires from the company as a heel, The Rock can also place him in a managerial role in WWE, putting him on par with Triple H.

Though it could be part of the storyline, Cena would then be able to explore a side of his role as a villainous backstage personality, just like Triple H did after he took up a backstage role in 2014. This would unravel a new layer of heel Cena, making the narrative even more compelling.

#1. He has been a babyface for 23 years, so he should retire as a heel

John Cena has been a babyface for 23 years and has achieved nearly everything in WWE. Now, becoming a babyface once again would not be as exciting as retiring as a heel. Maybe, he can sign off from in-ring competition as a heel, and later come back a year or two later for a babyface run.

His retirement should come as a heel, which would be another shocker for the WWE fans, as they are expecting a babyface turn at SummerSlam next month. And if not at SummerSlam, the fans know that The Leader of Cenation will turn babyface before retiring.

Triple H could throw a curveball at the fans by getting John Cena to end things in WWE as a heel. That would be a big surprise for the fans, and the reactions to Cena retiring as a heel would be interesting to see. That also keeps the door open for Cena to return in the future in a non-wrestling capacity and turn face in a way he likes.

The ball is in Triple H's court, and The Game will finally decide how the company wants Cena to wrap up things in the promotion.