More information about Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie was revealed during this year’s CinemaCon. Footage for the upcoming comedy did more than showcase more of the movie’s plot; it also confirmed John Cena‘s role in the film.
CinemaCon goers reported that viewers got a glimpse of Cena’s Ken character when Warner Bros. released exclusive footage for the upcoming movie. According to IGN, Cena will be playing a merman, the Ken counterpart of Dua Lipa‘s character, who is also a mermaid.
Mermen are common in the Barbie universe. These mythical creatures appeared in 2006’s Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia, and while Grewig’s Barbie movie will be separate from the CGI animated children’s film, fans are excited to see more mermaids nonetheless.
When the news on Cena’s role made it to social media, people freaked out since people were curious to see how he would look with a scaly tale. At the same time, memes comparing Cena’s role to Disney’s live-action version of The Little Mermaid started to emerge.
The recent announcements and previews for this year’s CinemaCon have been pretty wild. Asides from the revelation of Cena’s upcoming mermaid, attendees got to witness Hugh Grant’s performance of Oompa Loompa in Wonka.
Gerwig’s Barbie will feature multiple versions of Barbies and Kens. Prior to the preview, multiple posters showcased the different versions of the same favorites that will appear in the movie. If you’re excited to see Cena’s mermaid character, Barbie is scheduled to come out on July 21, 2023, when it goes head-to-head with Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer.