Fast X Fulfilled John Cena's Car Culture Dreams (Even If He Didn't Drive Much)
The "Fast and Furious" franchise is making dreams come true for John Cena.
John Cena is a man of many talents and interests. From wrestling to acting, there's nothing the superstar can't do in the name of entertainment. After debuting as Jakob Toretto in 2021's "F9," the actor has returned for "Fast X," the boldest and loudest film in the franchise to date. Shedding away Jakob's nefarious intentions, "Fast X" sees the Toretto brother as both jovial and ready to help. This leads to one of the film's best subplots involving him and his nephew, "Little B" (Leo Abelo Perry).
One of the coolest parts of their side adventure? Their canon car. While "F9" put Jakob behind the wheel, it's not until "Fast X" that the former villain gets to play around with the franchise's chaotic sandbox of vehicular warfare. For Cena, landing the role of Jakob was a dream come true because it allowed him to be around the world's most insane cars. While chatting with Extra, the wrestler opened up about how cars have always been a passion for him. He continued by calling his inclusion in the franchise a gift. "I love my work and I do love what I do, but this is like the ultimate example of being in a franchise of which I am a fan." While Cena does his own stunts when it comes to wrestling, the actor revealed that "Fast X" didn't have him in the driver's seat all too often.
John Cena calls Fast and Furious his 'golden ticket'
It's hard to believe at this point but, about a decade ago, "Fast and Furious" was more about car culture than it was about death-defying stunts and theatrics. Still, recent entries like "F9" and "Fast X" use vehicles as a way to compliment the franchise's increasingly bonkers actions. Continuing his chat with Extra, John Cena expressed why the "Fast" saga is perfect for him. "[This] franchise that is based around cars racing and car culture — that is the golden ticket for me," Cena said. "I use the word grateful a lot to describe my opportunities in the 'Fast' legacy, and just being able to wear the Toretto cross, being able to have a car that identifies my personality, these are like rites of passage in the 'Fast' mythology." The actor is, of course, talking about the canon car he gets to drive around in the film's pulse-pounding third act.
Despite his love for cars, the actor didn't drive much in the latest entry. With a film as big as "Fast X," Cena had to look past his wants to drive to serve the production's larger purpose. "I love to drive and I'm very confident behind the wheel, and I would love to be able to get in there and do some great stuff, but that's not fair to the production," the actor explained. "A production that hinges a lot of money on making it out on time with everybody safe as possible." The actor explained that some of the more basic shots of Jakob driving are done by him. The crazy action scenes? Those are handed over to the professionals.