Jessica Biel and John Cena Reveal What They Learned About Each Other While Making “Matchbox the Movie” (Exclusive)

Katie HillWed, October 7, 2026 at 4:34 PM UTC

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Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock -

Jessica Biel and John Cena share the screen for the first time ever in Matchbox the Movie

Cena tells Biel: “I learned new stuff about you every day,” thanks to the countless hours the pair spent together in vehicles on set

Matchbox the Movie begins streaming Oct. 9 on Apple TV

Jessica Biel and John Cena are sharing the screen for the first time ever.

In the Apple TV, Skydance Media and Mattel Studios action-packed adventure Matchbox the Movie, Biel, 44, and Cena, 49, are part of the five-person friend group attempting to save the world. Inspired by the iconic Mattel Matchbox toys, Matchbox the Movie marks Biel’s first film in over nine years—and her first project with Cena.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE before the film’s release, Biel and Cena share what their chemistry was like in front of and behind the camera, and what they learned about each other while collaborating for the first time.

“Oh my god, I learned new stuff about you every day,” Cena says to Biel. “I think that’s what building a relationship is. And obviously when you get a professional like Jess, she comes prepared and keeps an open mind, and you’re super easy to work with.”

“So many new things,” Biel agrees.

John Cena and Jessica Biel at the 2026 Comic-Con International in San Diego, CalifCredit: Amy Sussman/Getty

Matchbox the Movie “is an action-packed, globetrotting adventure about a group of friends since childhood who have their lives upended when undercover CIA agent Sean (Cena), their long-absent former leader, returns to their small town and unwittingly gets them embroiled in a frantic international pursuit to save the world,” reads an official synopsis for the film.

Completing Biel and Cena’s “Matchbox squad,” are Arturo Castro, Teyonah Parris, and Sam Richardson.

Biel and Cena credit their bonding to the hours they spent sitting next to each other in an ambulance. The vehicle featured in one of their high-speed chases, and it was there that Biel learned one of the most surprising things about Cena: “I thought you just love doing stunts and love doing all the physical stuff. And actually, you just want to be at home with your wife playing the piano,” she says. “Things like that, I was like, ‘Huh! Not what I expected.’”

“I do,” says Cena. “Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m very grateful to get my ass kicked on the screen, but I do enjoy that time.”

‘Matchbox the Movie’Credit: Apple TV

Cena also credits the film’s shooting schedule for the effortless chemistry he shares with Biel. Their characters’ reunion at the beginning of the film mirrored the actors’ own reunion when they first arrived on set. “I think they structured the shoot real good,” he says. “We started in that like ambiguous phase of like ‘I haven’t seen you in years,’ and then we could grow together which I thought was—if they did that on purpose, great job.”

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Separate from learning new things about each other, the pair bonded over their shared love of driving. Biel’s character does most of the driving in the film—she plays an EMT and amateur sports-car driver—but both actors enjoy getting behind the wheel in real life.

“I would like to be a passenger princess,” says Biel with a laugh. “But no, I am behind the wheel all the time, and I actually really like to drive... Living in Montana, we live on a dirt road, and I feel like I’m performance driving every day just getting these kids to school. And then when the snow comes, I’m really performance driving.”

Arturo Castro, Jessica Biel, John Cena, Teyonah Parris, and Sam Richardson in ‘Matchbox the Movie’Credit: Apple TV

For Cena, his love of cars started when he played with Matchbox toys as a kid—and now, “I haven’t lost the obsession,” he says.

“I’m an auto enthusiast now. So the cars have gone from here [holds up his fingers to the size of a Matchbox car] to life size. It’s the same thing,” he explains. “My favorite was a ‘70 Oldsmobile 442. I can see the car in my hand. I can see the worn paint and the red-line wheels. It’s very vivid.”

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Whether in an ambulance, a helicopter, or a Volkswagen bus—just a few of the many vehicles featured in the movie—Biel and Cena feel lucky to have had so much one-on-one time together on set. They rarely ran out of things to talk about, and even when they did, that was okay.

“There was never just that stare out the window nothing to talk about,” says Cena. “It was just always fun, you made it easy.”

“Yeah, same,” Biel responds. “And you know what? I think we did get to those moments where we could sit in silence, and it was great.”

Matchbox the Movie begins streaming Oct. 9 on Apple TV.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”