John Cena Thought His New Apple TV Action Movie Was Destined To Fail Until He Read The Script

John Cena thought his new action movie arriving later this year was destined to fail.

Cena was convinced that his upcoming action comedy Matchbox: The Movie was going to turn out a failure, until reading the script changed his mind. The upcoming Cena-led action movie sees the actor portraying Sean, a former soldier who is reuniting with a group of friends. However, he is soon captured and framed for a crime he didn't commit, leading him and his friends in a worldwide adventure as they reconnect while trying to clear his name. The movie is based on Mattel's Matchbox toy brand, which includes various vehicles and action figures alike.

In an interview with ScreenRant's Ash Crossan at San Diego Comic-Con, Cena revealed that, when he first heard about Matchbox: The Movie, he wasn't certain the film would be able to succeed. He explained the challenge of adapting a toy property into a movie format, especially when there's not a concrete story associated with the toys themselves. But, upon reading the script penned by David Coggeshall, he became convinced that the movie could go somewhere exciting.

Check out what Cena had to say below:

Ash Crossan: What excited you most about the idea of Matchbox the movie?

John Cena: For me, was intellectual property can be tricky sometimes. So what was most interesting for me in the first read was, how are they going to pull it off? How am I going to make this into a story that I can understand? This is a toy. This is involved, but the way they pulled it off was in such a way that I don't want to say you forget about it. It's an organic fit into the story of the movie.

That's a challenge that we've all seen when it's not done well, it can be tricky. You have something that brings up nostalgia or is relevant. I have a title of intellectual property. Ours is from an object. How the hell do we translate that into a story? And man, they just did a really good job.

I read it. I'm like, "Okay, all right." At least, at least we're gonna start with this. I get it. I think it can be pulled off. And then bring cast one by one, the director. Everybody's got a vision. Everybody brings ideas to the table, and it becomes less and less of like, "Man, I don't know. I know this thing made money, but I don't know if the translation is going to work." But they pulled it off quite well. It becomes a fun ride.

Matchbox: The Movie is written by Coggeshall and directed by Sam Hargrave, who is best known for directing the Extraction movies on Netflix. In addition to Cena, the core cast includes Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris, Randeep Hooda, Danai Gurira, Corey Stoll, Bill Camp, and Golshifteh Farahani. The movie's action-packed premise promises a whole host of vehicles that will be used, from cars to helicopters, all of which follow Cena's character on a global adventure with his friends.

The film is one in a long line of movies Mattel has been making associated with their property. Following Barbie's critical acclaim and box office success, the company has since begun development on numerous projects based on their properties. The latest of these was Masters of the Universe, which was a box office failure, but has since found renewed life streaming on Prime Video. As for Matchbox: The Movie, it will be releasing directly on Apple TV, available to stream starting October 9, 2026.

A trailer for Matchbox: The Movie was also released at SDCC, revealing a high-octane adventure for Cena and his fellow cast members.

Cena's honest statement about the movie indicates that, at first, he wasn't fully on board with the idea of starring in the film. But the script managed to convince him it would be worthwhile, providing an exciting, high-octane adventure that's also filled to the brim with plenty of memorable, comedic moments for its core heroes. Having caught his attention and excitement so readily, the film is poised to make a strong first impression once it does arrive on Apple TV.

With a trailer now out and Cena so committed to his role, it appears Matchbox: The Movie is poised to be another important part of Mattel's ever-growing movie lineup. The extent of the action appears to have only been teased in the trailer, too, meaning there will be plenty of surprises for audiences when the movie comes out.

Director Sam Hargrave

Writers David Coggeshall, Jonathan Tropper