EXCLUSIVE: John Cena, the WWE champ who has been transitioning to movies with Trainwreck and Daddy’s Home, has signed on to co-star in the Daddy’s Home sequel about to get underway in Boston. Cena served up a macho cameo at the end of the first film, and this time he figures prominently in the sequel storyline.

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He joins Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Mel Gibson, John Lithgow, Linda Cardellini, Owen Vaccaro and Scarlett Estevez in the Paramount comedy. In the sequel, father and stepfather, Dusty (Wahlberg) and Brad (Ferrell), are now working together to give their kids a perfect Christmas. When Dusty’s Dad (Gibson) and Brad’s Dad (Lithgow) arrive, their blended family conflicts rise to the surface. Cena’s character shifts the macho dynamics as Dusty faces the challenges of being a stepfather in the face of a more ripped rival.

Sean Anders is directing a script he wrote with John Morris. Gary Sanchez’s Ferrell, Adam McKay, Chris Henchy and Kevin Messick are producing with Morris. The original 2015 comedy grossed $240 million worldwide.

Cena is repped by ICM Partners.