John Cena appeared on Taiwanese television earlier in May and said that Taiwan will be the first country to show Fast & furious.
But calling Taiwan a nation turned out to be a mistake.
The statement drew criticism from nationalists in China, who believe that the country should belong to China.
Now the actor has apologized in a high-profile video.
The apology arouses criticism and is perceived as the actor succumbs to pressure so as not to risk restrictions for the film in China, which would mean large missed revenues.
In the video, you can see a piece of the acclaimed apology.
The film companies' struggle for Chinese money
In recent times, several major American films have focused on the lucrative Chinese market.
One example is Disney's new version of Mulan, which was criticized for being filmed in a province where Uighurs were held in concentration camps.
The film received restrictions in China - all reporting on it was banned before the premiere, the reason is believed to have been to avoid more attention in the concentration camps.
In 2021, Disney will release two Marvel movies with the Chinese market in mind.
One, Eternals, is directed by Chloe Zhao, who was awarded the Oscars for the film Nomadland.
However, Nomadland was stopped in China after the Communist Party was informed that the director had commented critically on his former homeland in 2013.
Unclear future for Marvel in China
In the newly released trailer for Eternals, Chloe Zhao is not mentioned in a word.
No Chinese premiere date has been set either.
The second film is a clear bet against Chinese audiences: Marvel's Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will be the first superhero film with a Chinese hero in the lead role.
But Shang-Chi's future in China is also unclear.
The reason is that one character, the villain Mandarin, is criticized.
The villain has its origins in Marvel's comic books from the 60's, and the film company itself today believes that the character is outdated. Producer Jonathan Schwartz has said that the ambition is to update the character and avoid stereotypes.