Even as Greta Gerwig’s Barbie continues breaking all kinds of box office records, it’s hard to keep track of just how many Barbies and Kens — and other characters in general — make it into the film — case in point: John Cena‘s cameo.
Ever since their announcements as the lead roles, Margot Robbie’s Barbie and Ryan Gosling’s Ken in Barbie have sparked a lot of buzz in pop culture, especially following their first official images released last year. But what we didn’t know one year ago is that there would literally be dozens of characters who share those two monikers throughout the film. That includes the likes of various Barbies, played by Kate McKinnon and Issa Rae, and Kens, played by Kingsley Ben-Adir and Simu Liu.
What character does John Cena play?
In a hilariously counterintuitive role, Cena plays Kenmaid in Barbie, a male mermaid who is the companion to Dua Lipa’s Mermaid Barbie. What’s arguably funnier than the cameo itself is the laissez-faire way in which it came about.
You see, Robbie and Cena had previously worked together in James Gunn’s 2021 DC film The Suicide Squad, in which the former played Harley Quinn and the latter played Peacemaker, who later starred in his own stand-alone series on HBO Max. Because of that previous camaraderie, Robbie simply casually offered the role to him when they randomly bumped into each other.
By chance, Robbie ran into Cena at a restaurant in London and, through their conversation, discovered they were both filming at the identical studio for two different projects. After that, a cameo offer was only natural, the Barbie star and producer said. As the Oscar-nominated actress explained to FM104:
“Because we’ve worked together before, and I was like ‘what are you doing here?’ And he was like, ‘We’re shooting at Leavesden at the moment.’ And I was like, ‘We’re shooting at Leavesden. Do you want to come be in Barbie?’ And he was like, ‘Yeah!’ Because he’s just that kind of guy — like, ‘Sure!’”
Barbie is currently playing at a theater near you.