First Trailer For ‘Little Brother’ Out, Starring John Cena And Eric André In New Netflix Comedy

The first trailer for Little Brother is here, and it confirms that Netflix’s upcoming summer comedy is built entirely around the collision between John Cena’s straight-faced discipline and Eric André’s boundary-demolishing chaos. John Cena and Eric André have a tough time developing brotherly love in the trailer for the Netflix movie Little Brother, with director Matt Spicer’s comedy feature set for streaming release on June 26.

The Story: How Rudd And Marcus Became “Brothers”

The film pairs two performers with wildly different comedic identities in a story about family, frustration, and a perfectly controlled life being ripped apart by someone who refuses to follow the rules.

Little Brother is not about biological siblings. André plays Marcus, a good-natured man who struggles to form genuine connections due to being “abandoned and orphaned by families and foster families.” Marcus’ initial interaction with Cena’s character, Rudd, comes when Rudd volunteers for a Big Brother/Little Brother program. André said of Marcus that Rudd “took me out for a few weekends; it was very important to me,” calling the experience “memorable.”

Twenty years later, Rudd has “completely forgotten all about it.” One day, he receives a call that his brother is in the hospital. Assuming something has happened to his older biological brother Josh, played by Christopher Meloni, Rudd rushes to the hospital. He’s left baffled when the doctor pulls back the curtain and reveals Marcus (André) — the now-grown-up “little brother” that Rudd spent time with at a charity event back in high school, yet fate has thrust them back together. With no place to go, Marcus is reluctantly welcomed into his big bro’s home and quickly hits it off with his wife, Deirdre (Michelle Monaghan).

Rudd is no fan of letting a near-complete stranger follow him around, wreck his car, and interrupt his life, but Deirdre believes his old little brother can help him loosen up after years of growing up in his own big brother’s shadow. Thus, Marcus resolves to bring back the Rudd he knew and loved by any chaotic means necessary.

The trailer’s tagline captures the tone perfectly: “An uncomfortably touching comedy.”

Key Production Details

The film was written by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul based on an idea by David Bernad. Matt Spicer directs the film, marking his first feature since the darkly comedic 2017 feature Ingrid Goes West with Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen. Principal photography took place in New Jersey in July 2025.

Full Cast Breakdown

Alongside the trio of Cena, André, and Monaghan, Little Brother also casts Law & Order: SVU legend Christopher Meloni as Cena’s biological big brother, with Ego Nwodim, Sherry Cola, Caleb Hearon, Ben Ahlers, Bryce Gheisar, and Pilot Bunch rounding things out.

Why John Cena Jumped At The Role

Cena is reuniting with comedian Eric André for the first time since 2020, when the wrestler appeared on The Eric André Show and threw the host through a shelf. This time around, though, André will bring his signature brand of chaos into his former attacker/guest’s life.

That real-life history adds an extra layer to the casting. In an interview, Cena told Entertainment Weekly, “I’m pretty sure I gave him a concussion. We’ve been in contact for a while.”

When asked about the script, Cena made clear the movie was designed around André’s specific energy. Cena said, “This movie was written for Eric André. I was asked to read it and see what I thought, and I was wondering who the Little Brother was. And when it was Eric André, having been a fan of Eric and seeing his personality shown on The Eric André Show, with all of the physical comedy, all of the pushing boundaries, so to speak… It was written for Eric, and he just needed a comedic straight face to bounce the absurdity off of. And man, I’m grateful to get that seat.” 

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cena said the duo penned it with André and his brand of comedy in mind. As a longtime fan of The Eric André Show, who already got a taste of what the host was capable of, he jumped at the rare chance to play the straight man opposite him.

In another interview, Cena said, “They’re only going to show the seconds that I wasn’t laughing,” and added, “I honestly think we play off each other very well. He has an incredible sense of humor, and I’m a decent sounding board for that.’

What Eric André Said About Playing Marcus

André described his character’s motivations with a blend of chaos and heart. André explained, “I charm my way into the wife’s heart, and then the kids love me, and then everybody loves me, but I’m just driving [Rudd] nuts because I’m nuts.”

That dynamic is central to the trailer’s appeal: Marcus is not a villain. He is a well-meaning wrecking ball who genuinely loves his “big brother” but has no filter and no sense of personal boundaries.

How Netflix Greenlit The Film

The origin of the project reveals just how central both stars were to the deal. The film was written by Andrew Mogel and Jarrad Paul based on an idea by David Bernad. When the writers pitched the film to Netflix, they were told that if Cena agreed to play the Big Brother, the film would be greenlit “in a heartbeat.” The project follows Netflix’s partnership with the WWE. Netflix chief content officer Bela Bajaria first teased Little Brother during a press event, telling reporters, “There are so many great stars that come from WWE that we [already] have a great relationship with on the TV and movie side.”

What The Trailer Shows

The trailer runs just under two minutes and establishes the film’s comedy engine quickly:

In the trailer, Cena laments, “He’s not my actual brother. The timing on this couldn’t be worse.”

Where Little Brother Fits In Cena’s 2026 Calendar

Now that his WWE days are over, John Cena is getting back to another one of his expertise — comedy. On August 28, he’ll finally get to appear on the big screen as hotshot Acme lawyer Buddy Crane in the long-awaited release of the Looney Tunes legal comedy, Coyote vs. Acme. Following that, in October, he’s set to lead the high-octane Matchbox: The Movie, adapting the world of Mattel’s die-cast toy cars into a globe-trotting action-adventure. Cena can also soon be seen in the films Coyote vs. Acme and Matchbox: The Movie, and he also led the second season of HBO Max’s The Peacemaker that aired last year.

What’s Next For Eric André

André’s forthcoming features include Street Fighter and Animal Friends. Following a recent supporting role in Marvel’s Ironheart TV show, André is now playing Don Sauvage in the live-action Street Fighter movie that is scheduled to arrive in October. André is known for Adult Swim’s satirical talk show The Eric André Show, and earned an Emmy Award for its sixth and final season that aired last year. Other previous credits include the Netflix comedy film Bad Trip and voice roles in Trolls Band Together, Sing 2 and the Oscar-nominated The Mitchells vs. the Machines.

The first trailer for Little Brother makes a clear, simple promise: put John Cena’s tightly controlled straight man opposite Eric André’s unhinged energy and let the friction drive the film. Rudd (John Cena) has the perfect life — great job, loving family, and a thriving career as a real estate agent — until his little brother, Marcus (Eric André), crashes back into his world as a full-blown agent of chaos, stress-testing every part of Rudd’s carefully controlled existence.

With a real-life friendship (and a real-life concussion) as the foundation, a script specifically written for André’s style, and a Netflix platform that gives it a global audience on day one, Little Brother has positioned itself as one of the summer’s most watchable comedies.

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