Netflix is pairing two heavyweights for its latest action-comedy. Kevin Hart and John Cena will star in and produce The Leading Man, based on the comic book series by Jeremy Haun and B. Clay Moore. The script comes from brothers Jon and Erich Hoeber who previously sold the streamer their original script Fast & Loose, an action film set to star Will Smith that’s currently in pre-production and searching for a new director.
In The Leading Man, Cena plays a self-absorbed movie star who discovers that his “man in the chair” (Hart) is actually a real-life secret agent. Cue the reluctant partnership: the two must set egos aside and save the world, all while proving that action stars aren’t always action heroes.
Hart will produce through his Hartbeat banner alongside Luke Kelly-Clyne and Bryan Smiley as part of Hartbeat’s multi-film deal with Netflix. Also producing are Joe Roth and Jeff Kirschenbaum for RK Films, Eric Gitter and Peter Schwerin for Ignition Productions, Cena, and Dan Baime. Zak Roth (RK Films), Jon and Erich Hoeber, and Jeremy Haun (Ignition) serve as executive producers.
The news comes as Hart juggles multiple Netflix projects, including the upcoming comedy 72 Hours, directed by Tim Story and starring Teyana Taylor, Ben Marshall, Zach Cherry, rising comedian Kam Patterson (making his feature debut), Mason Gooding, and Marcello Hernández. His past Netflix credits include Fatherhood, Me Time, The Man from Toronto, Lift, and the limited series True Story.
Cena, meanwhile, just wrapped Little Brother for Netflix opposite Eric André. He’s coming off the success of Heads of State, an Amazon MGM action comedy with Idris Elba that has already pulled in over 75 million viewers globally, making it one of the streamer’s top four films of all time. His upcoming slate includes Coyote vs. Acme, a live-action Matchbox movie, and Peacemaker Season 2 on HBO Max.
No word yet on when The Leading Man will hit Netflix, but with Hart and Cena at the center—and the Hoebers behind the script—it’s already shaping up to be a big swing for the streamer.