The hit Apple TV series Pluribus just delivered one of its most surprising and talked-about moments, thanks to a completely unexpected guest star. In the show’s sixth episode, titled “HDP,” it is revealed that the alien hive mind sustaining itself with a mysterious milk-like substance is actually consuming processed human remains. The person chosen to calmly explain this shocking reality to the show’s main character is none other than actor and WWE legend John Cena.
The cameo happens at a critical point in the story. After discovering a warehouse filled with vacuum-sealed human bodies, protagonist Carol Sturka (played by Rhea Seehorn) rushes to confront fellow survivor Mr. Koumba Diabaté (played by Samba Schutte). To her surprise, he already knows the dark secret. To explain it, he plays a pre-recorded informational video where a cheerful and composed John Cena breaks down the hive mind’s difficult food situation.
How John Cena Appears in the Show’s Story
In the world of Pluribus, a vast majority of humanity has been joined into a single, peaceful consciousness called the “Others” or the “Joined.” John Cena, the real-life celebrity, is one of the people absorbed by this collective. The character Mr. Diabaté reveals he specifically asked to speak with Cena because he views him as a trustworthy and reasonable figure.
In the video message, Cena greets Carol by saying, “Hello, Carol. We’re John Cena”. He explains that the collective cannot harm, kill, or interfere with any form of life, which includes plants and animals. This strict moral code means they cannot harvest crops or pick fruit from trees. As a result, the roughly seven billion members of the hive mind are facing a massive “caloric deficit” and risk starvation.
The temporary solution is a shelf-stable liquid served in milk cartons. It is made from stockpiled human food and an additive called HDP, or “Human-Derived Protein.” Cena explains that HDP comes from the nearly 100,000 people who die each day from natural causes and accidents. The collective uses these remains, which would otherwise go to waste, to create a protein supplement.
“Given our druthers, would we choose to consume HDP? No,” Cena says sincerely in the video. “Throughout history, most cultures… have taken a dim view of anthropophagy. Honestly, we’re not that keen on it ourselves. But we’re left with little choice.”
He assures Carol she will never be forced to consume HDP, and the video ends with the collective’s typical polite tone, hoping the information “clears things up”.
Why the Show’s Creator Chose John Cena for the Role
Vince Gilligan, the creator of Pluribus and the mind behind Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, directed the episode and made the decision to cast Cena. In interviews, Gilligan explained the unusual choice with his trademark humor.
“Casting John Cena, I wanted Queen Elizabeth, but someone told me that sadly, she had passed away. So John Cena was kind of a second choice for us,” Gilligan joked. “But he was great. We asked him, and thank goodness he said yes.”
On a more serious note, Gilligan and his team felt Cena’s public persona made him the ideal messenger for such disturbing news. They needed someone who could appear completely trustworthy and likable while explaining a concept most would find horrifying.
“We just thought, ‘Who better than John Cena to make palatable the idea of eating human flesh, you know?’” Gilligan said. “He just has this personality and… everything that he does you find him likable and you find him trustworthy.”
Gordon Smith, an executive producer on the show, agreed, stating, “John Cena was the right balance of friendly, famous and trustworthy — and we also just thought it’d be fun to watch him say all that creepy stuff.”
How the Cameo Was Filmed in Just One Day
Scheduling the cameo was a challenge due to John Cena’s busy career, which includes acting and his final commitments to WWE. To make it work, the Pluribus production team flew to Tampa, Florida, and rented a small soundstage for a single day of filming on a weekend.
Gilligan recounted that Cena was extremely professional and nailed the scene in just a few takes. In between filming, Cena even entertained the crew by playing the piano on set. Interestingly, because the scene was filmed out of context and separately from the main cast, Cena was not entirely sure how his part fit into the larger story.
“As he was leaving, he said, ‘I can’t wait to find out what the hell it was I just said,’” Gilligan recalled.
Back on the main set, actors Rhea Seehorn and Samba Schutte had to film their reaction shots to the video message weeks before Cena’s part was recorded. As a temporary placeholder, they reacted to a version of the message read aloud by Vince Gilligan himself.
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What the Cameo Reveals About the Show’s World
John Cena’s appearance does more than just deliver a plot twist. It opens up new questions about the world of Pluribus. He is the first major global celebrity confirmed to have been absorbed into the hive mind. This confirms that famous people from the “old world” still exist, but their identities are now part of the collective.
The choice also highlights the show’s dark comedy style. The extreme contrast between Cena’s upbeat, friendly delivery and the grim subject matter creates a uniquely unsettling and humorous moment.
“I loved that it’s justified. And who better to justify cannibalism than John Cena?” actor Samba Schutte said with a laugh. “I love that the twist, for Koumba, is a very rational thing.”
For Carol, the video is the final proof that the Others are not the benign force they claim to be. The revelation pushes her to a breaking point, solidifying her resolve to fight against the collective. For Mr. Diabaté, while he understands the logical reasoning, it remains a disturbing fact about his new reality.
The episode ends with another survivor, Manousos (Carlos-Manuel Vesga), deciding to seek out Carol after listening to her audio tapes, setting the stage for the final episodes of the season. New episodes of Pluribus are released every Friday on Apple TV+, with the Season 1 finale scheduled for December 26.
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