Fast & Furious 9 might be dominating in the international box office right now but there has also been some backlash after John Cena made a comment about Taiwan in one of his promotional interviews. Interestingly, this has led to the Suicide Squad star issuing an apology to China for his comments.
Cena has been promoting F9 extensively in the past few weeks and in one interview with a Taiwanese reporter, the actor had stated that Taiwan is "the first country that can watch" his film.
The comment has since caused an immediate backlash with Chinese audiences who insisted that Taiwan is a part of China. The backlash was so overwhelming that Cena filmed an apology video. Interestingly, Cena speaks fluent Mandarin as he apologizes for his mistakes in the interview. You can watch the video here.
Although the apology was important to avoid having Chinese audiences boycotting F9, some see it as a way to sell out to the CCP. Either way, we're hoping that the audiences are relieved that Cena has taken action to apologize for his mistakes.
Fast and Furious 9 did an impressive job at the international box office when it opened in eight countries that included China. The ninth installment of the film franchise was even expected to defeat Godzilla vs Kong's opening weekend record. Needless to say, fans are loving F9 and we can't wait to watch it in theaters.
F9 is currently screening internationally. The film will premiere in the US on June 25, 2021.
Related: Fast & Furious 9 Demolishes Godzilla vs Kong Post-Pandemic Box Office Record
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