John Cena's new movie, "Freelance," comes out this week, but actors are still on strike, and that means the WWE legend cannot do press to promote the film.
Enter the 16x WWE champion's friends -- including Alexa Bliss, LA Knight, and TMZ Sports' own Mojo Muhtadi, in addition to a bunch more -- who in place of Cena, attended a premiere of the movie at Regal Waterfod Lakes in Orlando.
Of course, SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors, is still at odds with the Hollywood studios. As part of the strike, actors cannot do media to promote a project ... and if you did, that'd be crossing the picket line.
Obviously a big no-no (ask Drew Barrymore).
So, Cena's buds did the next best thing.
As for the movie, it's got an impressive cast ... with Alison Brie and Christian Slater also starring in the movie, which the studio described like this:
An ex-special forces operative takes a job to provide security for a journalist as she interviews a dictator, but a military coup breaks out in the middle of the interview, and they are forced to escape into the jungle where they must survive.
While he undoubtedly was bummed he couldn't be at Orlando showing, we're told Cena was seriously touched by his friend's show of support!
The movie hits theatres on Friday.