John Cena’s ‘Matchbox’ Sets Guinness Record in Morocco With 14-Roll Car Stunt
A car stunt performed in the Moroccan desert for “Matchbox,” the action film starring John Cena, has entered the Guinness World Records. The organization has just revealed details of the feat, filmed in March 2025, in which a stunt driver smashed the previous world record.
On March 27, 2025, in the Aarab Sebbah Gheris desert, near Erfoud, stunt driver Karl Van Moorsel got behind the wheel of a gold 2005 Mitsubishi Pajero. He accelerated to 115 km/h, began a slight turn to the right, then triggered a pneumatic cannon that sent the vehicle into a series of 14 rolls. The car lost pieces of its bodywork and windows before coming to a stop on the sand.
The stunt, performed for Apple Studios’ film “Matchbox: The Movie,” smashed the previous record of 8.5 rolls, set in 2022 during the filming of “The Fall Guy.” The Guinness World Records, which detailed the feat on October 13 said that just one take was needed. The team had not even conducted a preliminary test of the pneumatic cannon.
To protect the stunt driver, technicians kept the 4x4’s exterior appearance but fully secured its interior. A roll cage, racing seat, six-point harness and adapted fuel tank had been installed. More than 50 crew members watched the scene in the Moroccan desert.
John Cena receives Guinness certificate
On October 6, 2026, at the film’s premiere, John Cena and Karl Van Moorsel received the official Guinness World Records certificate on behalf of the production. The former wrestling champion, who plays the lead role in “Matchbox,” praised the work of the stunt driver and technicians who prepared the sequence.
The American actor emphasized the collective effort required for such a feat. Karl Van Moorsel, not John Cena, was behind the wheel for the 14 rolls.
Directed by Sam Hargrave, “Matchbox” is inspired by Mattel’s famous toy cars. Several crews worked on the film in Morocco, including in Casablanca, Erfoud and Merzouga, with Jessica Biel appearing alongside John Cena. The film was released on Apple TV on October 9, 2026.
This is not the first time a Hollywood stunt filmed near Erfoud has entered the Guinness World Records. In 2015, an explosion staged in the Moroccan desert for “Spectre,” part of the James Bond series, had already set a world record. It required 8,418 liters of fuel and 33 kilograms of explosives.
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