Vietnam bans screening of John Cena's latest film 'Barbie' due to a controversial scene 

John Cena (Source: Twitter)

American professional wrestler and actor, John Cena, is set to hit the big screen once again after landing the role of Merman Ken in the latest Barbie movie. Cena's involvement in the Greta Gerwig movie came through an unexpected meeting with the lead actress Margot Robbie, during the filming of the recently released Fast X (Fast and Furious 10).

Meanwhile, John Cena's Barbie is banned in Vietnam for containing a controversial scene, which could trigger an Asian political conflict. There is a scene in the movie that shows a world map with the Nine-Dash Line, a set of line segments asserting China's territorial claims in the South China Sea. Vietnam opposes China's claims and views the inclusion of the nine-dash line in the film to be a violation of its sovereignty.

Vietnam was the first country to ban the screening of the Barbie movie in the country. Tuoi Tre, a Vietnamese newspaper, reported, "We do not grant a license for the American movie 'Barbie' to release in Vietnam because it contains the offending image of the nine-dash line."

John Cena's latest project may also be banned in the Philippines

According to reports, the Philippines has also started reviewing it, and multiple senators want it banned in the country. Senator Francis Tolentino, vice chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, stated, “If the invalidated 9-dash line was indeed depicted in the movie ‘Barbie,’ then it is incumbent upon the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to ban the same as it denigrates Philippine sovereignty.”

However, Vietnam and the Philippines may be willing to compromise if the scene featuring the nine-dash line is deleted or the map is edited, instead of banning the film. According to Senator Risa Hontiveros, the Philippine cinemas could also display a disclaimer stating that the nine-dash line is a 'figment of China's imagination.'

Notably, this is not the first time the inclusion of the nine-dash line has caused controversy in Vietnam and the Philippines. Earlier, the MTRCB had banned the release of the movie 'Uncharted' in the Philippines due to similar concerns. Vietnam also banned DreamWorks' animated film "Abominable" for featuring the line.