Welcome to the family, John Cena.
Back in April, Vin Diesel teased the possibility of the wrestler-turned-actor joining the Fast & Furious franchise, and now Cena has officially been cast in Fast 9, EW has confirmed.
This marks the first significant casting for the film, which will see the return of director Justin Lin, who previously helmed four installments. Casting a former wrestler worked out well previously for Lin as Dwayne Johnson‘s addition in Fast Five helped elevate the franchise and led to this summer’s spin-off Hobbs & Shaw.
Last year, while interviewing Cena for his hilarious turn in Blockers, EW actually suggested that he’d be perfect alongside Johnson in a Fast movie. “That stuff is beyond my control, but I would absolutely love that opportunity,” he replied. “That, for me, would be a dream. I’m never really like, ‘Oh, I’d like to work with this person,’ but I just think between our chemistry in the live performance setting, there’s something certainly there with The Rock. So that would be my one name on the wish list.” Unfortunately for Cena, Johnson has said he won’t be in Fast 9.
This is the latest blockbuster opportunity for Cena, who starred in last year’s Transformers spinoff Bumblebee and recently enlisted in James Gunn’s new Suicide Squad film.
Fast & Furious 9 races into theaters on May 22, 2020.
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