Fak Attack! ‘The Bear’ Welcomes John Cena To The Fak Family In Perfect Season 3 Guest Role

The Bear is back and so are the Faks.

After the star-studded second season of Christopher Storer’s critically-acclaimed FX series featured everyone from Jamie Lee Curtis to John Mulaney, fans expected some jaw-dropping guest star moments in Season 3, and boy did Episode 5 deliver.

Spoilers for The Bear Season 3 ahead.

By now, everyone knows Neil (Matty Matheson) and Ted Fak (Ricky Staffieri), who take on much more prominent roles this time around. But at long last, it’s time for viewers to meet Sammy Fak, played by the one, the only, John Cena!

The actor, pro wrestler, and guy who sort of streaked at the Oscars makes his jaw-dropping entrance in Episode 5, “Children,” after quite the lead-up. With 40 minutes until an important restaurant photoshop, Richie orders the Fak bros to “buff fast,” so they turn to each other and simultaneously suggest calling in their other bro, Sammy, as reinforcement.

Before they reach out, Ted admits, “It’s gonna be weird. Cause he’s being a dick right now. I borrowed something from him, I reminded him, he forgot that I told him…” Sounds to us like Ted stole, not borrowed…but desperate times call for desperate measures, so minutes later, Sammy barrels into The Bear looking spiffy in a Matter of FAK Supply Co. shirt and Neil and Ted scream “BROTHER!” in unison.

The initial sight of Cena unexpectedly immersed in the show of the summer evokes feelings of pure delight, awe, and overwhelming approval. From a visual standpoint, the buff, towering actor doesn’t necessarily scream Fak, but seconds after he appears on screen it’s clear he’s right at home.

Samuel Jeff heroically arrives to buff The Bear’s floors, but he’s also there to haunt the hell out of Ted for taking his SD cards without permission. Before viewers fully understand Season 3’s Fak Family “haunting” bit, Sammy’s first words are “Yo, anybody see the ghost?!” Pretty soon, he’s pestering Ted to say the password. And when Ted refuses, the newly-introduced Fak bro shouts, “Well….well…now I gotta haunt you!”

In that moment it’s impossible to imagine anyone but John Cena being cast as Sammy Fak.

So what is “haunting” you ask? Per Sammy, “It means I’ll remember he took the SD cards without permission and someday, when he leasts expects it, I’ll do something weird.” Got it? Good!

Before Carmy heads to the kitchen, Sammy makes sure to say, “By the way, Bear, this place is looking sick. It used to be a complete shit hole — said with complete admiration.” When Carmy asks what exactly he’s doing at the restaurant, Cena’s character smoothly adds, “These lemon heads need more horsepower, so they called a horse. Shine it will.” Absolutely hilarious stuff.

Sammy tells Neil he’s “being a bitch” and orders him to call dad back because he’s “sick of hearing his bullshit.” Then he proudly leads the “FAKS ATTACK!” chant before the trio gets buffing. Next time we see Sammy, he’s surrounded by buffer smoke, wrapping up a story with “and then they told me all the peanut butter sandwiches had shrooms in them. I was boomin!” Again, 10/10.

Cena’s “haunted” bit has to be seen to be truly appreciated, but Sammy’s on-screen charm persists even when he’s the only Fak in the room. Later in the episode, he heads into the kitchen to sip an espresso alongside the chefs. After a hilarious intro to Sydney, he’s sent to get duck for an emergency dish and garners yet another laugh from me, saying, “Sick. What kind of duck? Freshwater? I saw one at the park.”

What makes Cena so perfect for the role is he’s unafraid to get in people’s faces. He verbally spars with the dynamic Fake duo, perfectly matches their energy, and can convincingly act like a giant teddy bear or a terrifying tough guy depending on the situation. He knows how to have fun, be loud, let loose, and get people pumped. He nails The Bear‘s swift back-and-forth, flexes his big personality, and even brings some physical comedy to the table.

Sammy wasn’t the only Fak that The Bear had to introduce (Frannie, where you at?) nor is he the only guest star revealed in Episode 5, but John Cena’s Fak Attack! is officially canon in the FX series, and we can’t wait to watch him let it rip again in the future.

The Bear Season 3 is now streaming on Hulu.