WWE Pulls Randy Orton from Marine Movie Due to Dishonorable Discharge

Just a week ago, the WWE announced star Randy Orton would head up the cast list in 'The Marine: Homefront,' one of the company's trio of planned Marine-themed movies.

But Orton was quickly pulled from the film on Tuesday after it came to light that he was dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps back in 1999.

Orton, who previously had a small role in the WWE Studios' drama 'That's What I Am,' was to play a Marine who uses his combat training to save his daughter after she's kidnapped by a radical militia group.

After the casting was made public, it was discovered that during Orton's stint in the Marines, he went AWOL on two separate occasions and disobeyed an order from a commanding officer, leading to a court-martial and 38 days in a military prison.

Upon hearing of Orton's new starring role, Marine Cpl. Mike Vinn, who was once in a unit with him, was livid, telling TMZ:

I am disgusted that his face and the word Marine are being used next to each other — real or fake — because of the fact that he quit us, the country, and the Marine Corps. [Randy] in the role of a Marine is a disgrace to those that have worn and are wearing that uniform.

On Tuesday, a rep for WWE said "poor judgment" was demonstrated when Orton was signed for the movie, adding, "Despite Randy's popularity, the fact that he was dishonorably discharged from the USMC made it inappropriate for him to be cast in this film."