John Cena appeared on the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood at Sunday’s  96th Academy Awards in a bit with host Jimmy Kimmel.

The WWE star-action film staple, 46, was summoned by Kimmel, who referenced the 50-year anniversary of a streaker named Robert Opel running onto the stage at the ceremony, interrupting late actor-presenter David Niven.

Kimmel, whose jokes about Robert Downey Jr. earlier in the evening landed flat, sought to summon the squared circle star onto the stage with the line, ‘Can you imagine if a ɴuᴅᴇ man ran across the stage today?’

‘I said, can you imagine if – a ɴuᴅᴇ man ran across the stage today? Wouldn’t that be crazy?

Cena backstage then said: ‘Psst! Psst, Jimmy! Come here.’

Kimmel said: ‘I can’t come there – do the thing! Excuse me for a second. What’s going on? You’re supposed to run across the stage’ as Cena said: ‘Yeah, I – changed my mind. I don’t want to do the streaker bit.’

‘I just don’t feel right about it. It’s an elegant event, you know, you should feel shame right now for suggesting such a tasteless …’

Kimmel said: ‘You wrestle naked, why not?’ as Cena said of his trademark ring attire: ‘I don’t wrestle naked, I wrestle in jorts!’

Cena walked sideways onto the stage with the envelope for Best Costume Design covering his genitals. He said, ‘Costumes – they are so important – maybe the most important thing there is.’

He acknowledged that he was unable to open the envelope, at which point Kimmel took over.

Cena – who defended embattled former WWE boss Vince McMahon earlier this month – later covered up with a gold toga to conclude the presentation.

Kimmel earlier in the evening roasted Robert Downey Jr’s manhood and past drug use in his bombshell opening monologue. The host, returning for the fourth time, left the A-listers grinning and cringing in equal measure as he took to the stage.

Downey Jr. 58, who won Best Supporting Actor for Oppenheimer, was stony-faced as Kimmel made a crᴀss joke at the start of the ceremony – referring to his past addictions.

Seen left to right: Actor In A Supporting Role – Robert Downey Jr. (Oppenheimer), Actress In A Supporting Role – Da’Vine Joy Randolph (The Holdovers ), Actress In A Leading Role – Emma Stone (Poor Things), and Actor In A Leading Role – Cillian Murphy (Oppenheimer)

The WWE star-action film staple was summoned by Kimmel, who referenced the 50-year anniversary of a streaker running onto the stage at the ceremony , interrupting late actor-presenter David Niven