WWE Producers Were Kept in the Dark About John Cena’s Heel Turn

John Cena’s heel turn shook WWE fans — but what’s even more shocking is that WWE producers didn’t know it was happening either, even with Netflix cameras rolling.

According to Fightful Select, several producers working on WWE: Unreal were just as surprised as fans when Cena made the turn. The new Netflix docuseries, which follows WWE’s creative process from Royal Rumble to WrestleMania 41, kept even key insiders in the dark to protect major storyline developments.

“The production crew reportedly did not know about John Cena’s heel turn in advance,” the report revealed.

That puts Cena’s turn in the same category as CM Punk’s surprise return at Survivor Series — a moment so closely guarded that not even the crew documenting WWE’s behind-the-scenes action was informed. Despite initial concerns from some WWE producers about how Unreal would present the company, the final product left them impressed.

“Producers were “very pleased” with how the show turned out.”

The secrecy extended beyond Cena. The report also noted that the now-viral segment involving IShowSpeed’s Royal Rumble appearance was viewed internally as an “honest portrayal,” adding credibility to the docuseries’ claim of authenticity.

Not everything was entirely organic, though. The emotional moment of the women’s locker room emptying out to cheer Charlotte Flair was reportedly produced — although talent didn’t know it was for Netflix. Meanwhile, rumors that the off-script promo between Charlotte Flair and Tiffany Stratton was created just for the cameras remain unconfirmed.

Still, nothing in the docuseries had more shock value than the Cena heel turn — and the fact that even those filming it didn’t see it coming shows just how tightly WWE played that card.

With WWE: Unreal now streaming and SummerSlam weekend kicking off at MetLife Stadium, fans are still dissecting what’s real and what’s kept under wraps in the WWE universe.