According to former WWE employee Brian Solomon, the 2006 WWE Films production The Marine was originally developed as a starring vehicle for "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. Speaking on his Shut Up and Wrestle podcast, Solomon, who read early scripts while working in WWE's magazine department, described the project as an "'80s flashback action movie" written specifically for Austin. He stated his belief that with the still-popular Austin in the lead, the movie could have been a "major hit on their hands." The plans changed after Steve Austin famously walked out of WWE in 2002. The movie project was temporarily shelved before the lead role was given to John Cena, who at the time was still a relative rookie and an unproven entity in the company. #TheMarine #SteveAustin #JohnCena #WWE #WWEFilms #WrestlingHistory