Why John Cena was 'scared for my life' with Jessica Biel
John Cena said he was "scared for my life" filming Matchbox: The Movie after doing his own stunts for director Sam Hargrave, including hanging from a helicopter. Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con alongside costar Jessica Biel, Cena admitted he still hates heights—and joked that he conquered none of those fears.
Key Takeaways
- Cena told an Apple TV Comic-Con panel that Hargrave had him jump off buildings and hang from a helicopter.
- Jessica Biel stars opposite Cena in the Mattel-inspired action comedy, streaming on Apple TV on Oct. 9.
- Biel said driving real-life Matchbox cars made her feel "like a kid again" and revitalized her feeling about the movie industry.
- In the trailer, Cena's CIA agent and friends race to recover a missing nuclear warhead.
The Peacemaker star joined the Apple TV panel in San Diego on July 25 to preview the film, based on Mattel's Matchbox toys. The cast also includes Sam Richardson, Teyonah Parris, Arturo Castro, Danai Gurira, Golshifteh Farahani, Corey Stoll and Bill Camp. For more celebrity headlines, visit our Celebrity Breaking News hub.
Why was John Cena scared filming Matchbox?
On stage, Cena said Hargrave asked him to perform his own stunts. A Comic-Con trailer clip showed major sequences, including his character hanging off a helicopter.
"I like fight choreography. Some of you have seen me do that in WWE. Becoming invisible, that's my strength. I hate ledges. I hate heights. I hate cheating death," he said, according to USA Today.
"Each day, I [pooped] my pants, because he had me jumping off of buildings. ... He had me hanging from a helicopter. I did a lot of stuff that I was afraid to do. I conquered none of my fears. I'm still afraid to do them," Cena joked. He thanked his cast for being a "great support system at times when I was scared for my life."
What role does Jessica Biel play in Matchbox the Movie?
Jessica Biel is part of the circle of longtime friends pulled into the adventure when they learn that Cena's character, Sean, is an undercover CIA agent. Their globe-trotting mission, per Apple's footage, involves a missing nuclear warhead the agency suspects may involve them.
In the trailer, Biel recalls childhood play—"It's been a long since we played Matchbox cars together"—before proposing a drastic fix: "We need to re-steal the bomb so we can get our lives back." At the panel, she said she felt "like a kid again" driving real-life Matchbox cars she and her brothers once played with. "It kind of revitalized my feeling about the movie industry," she added.
When does Matchbox the Movie premiere on Apple TV?
Apple TV will stream Matchbox the Movie beginning Oct. 9. Sam Hargrave (Extraction) directed from a script by David Coggeshall, with Skydance and Mattel Studios among the producers.
Cena's undercover-agent plot kicks off when friends discover his secret life and get swept into a race to save the world—stunts and all.