John Cena set to star in Fast and Furious 9 with Vin Diesel

 John Cena and Vin Diesel.

Cult hero John Cena will appear in the cast of Fast & Furious 9, adding to an impressive list of Hollywood projects.

The 42-year-old will join Vin Diesel in the movie, which is expected to be released in the UK in May 2020.

Ring rival and fellow WWE superstar Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, however, does not look like making an appearance, despite the fact he is involved in the soon-to-be released Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

The news is sure to delight Cena fans, and the part-time rapper took to social media to tell of his pride.

He posted on his Twitter account: "For nearly 20 years, the Fast Franchise has entertained fans and created some of the biggest cinematic moments in history. It's an incredible honor to join this franchise and this family."

Details about Cena's character have not yet been revealed, but it is expected to be a typically hard-man type of role.

 Cena is a legend of WrestleMania.

Previously Vin Diesel had hinted that Cena would be involved in the movie when he posted a mysterious Instagram video in April.

In it he claimed he had been sent "a soldier for the fight for truth", before the camera revealed Cena.

This is not the first time Cena has appeared on the big screen, as he has also had leading roles in films such as The Marine, Trainwreck, Ferdinand and Blockers.

He also released the rap album You Can't See Me in 2005, which gained platinum certification in the United States.

Cena has won several wrestling championships in his career, with honours including being a five-time United States Champion, four-time world tag team champion and a WWE record sixteen-time world champion.

But he has not been seen on WWE TV since WrestleMania 35 on April 7, and has been keeping something of a low profile since.