WARNING! This article contains spoilers for The Bubble.
Netflix’s Jurassic Park franchise – unite for production of the sixth film in the series, though are trapped within the confines of the “bubble” to avoid COVID-19 exposure. Along with the film production crew and Cliff Beasts 6 cast, The Bubble’s characters include various cameos by celebrities, with creatively fitting ways to include them in the story.
Major franchises are known for having special celebrity cameos, so it’s no surprise that Judd Apatow recruited a variety of notable franchise actors for cameos in his meta film series parody film. As expected, several of The Bubble’s cameo scenes also feature the characters referencing or connecting to the major franchises that such actors are notably part of in the real world. At the same time, in order to augment the meta nature of The Bubble’s premise, actors in the main cast of Netflix’s 2022 movie like Pedro Pascal, Keegan-Michael Key, and 's Karen Gillan have also previously starred in franchises themselves, making them the perfect choices to tell the behind-the-scenes struggles of the fictional Cliff Beasts films.
Playing on the absurdity of the film, some of The Bubble’s celebrity cameos also make little to no sense within the story. From CGI inclusions to a private virtual concert, the celebrities who cameo in The Bubble make the strange experience of filming Cliff Beasts 6 in the “bubble” all the more bizarre. Here’s a breakdown of every celebrity cameo in Netflix’s The Bubble, and how they’re integrated into the meta pandemic-franchise story.
John Cena
As one of the most popular franchise actors in Hollywood, it shouldn’t be all too surprising that WWE wrestler John Cena makes a quick cameo in The Bubble. Rather than appearing as himself, John Cena plays Steve, Cliff Beasts 6’s stunt coordinator and apparently the father of Krystal’s production friend, Carla. As is fitting for the movie, Cena’s The Bubble cameo sees him virtually describe the stunt choreography to Cliff Beasts 6’s cast after having a COVID-19 scare. With his video feed glitching and an extra holding his tablet on a stick to move him around the room, Steve the stunt coordinator’s lesson via quarantine does not go as planned. Cena was also a timely choice for cameoing in The Bubble considering his roles in major franchises like the DCEU, Fast & Furious, and Transformers.
Daisy Ridley
Although the actress has only starred in a few roles since Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Daisy Ridley makes an intriguing cameo in The Bubble. The Star Wars franchise actress appears as Kate, the virtual fitness trainer of Dieter (Pedro Pascal) who he imagines having sex with while he’s high in his room. At the end of The Bubble, Daisy Ridley’s Kate appears in person at the premiere of the documentary about the making of Cliff Beasts 6, though she seems largely confused about her presence. Ridley’s cameo opposite Pedro Pascal will satisfy the crossover wishes of many Star Wars fans, as theories about her character Rey connecting to his The Mandalorian character have become common.
James McAvoy
Scottish actor James McAvoy appears as himself toward the end of Netflix’s The Bubble. When Karen Gillan’s character Carol runs off of the set of Cliff Beasts 6 in order to escape its suffocating confines, James McAvoy suddenly appears and runs after her, then successfully tackles her to the ground. McAvoy reveals that he was confused about why she was running, then becomes insulted when she makes a joke about referring to him as “Professor X.” The actor then defends his career by saying that he’s played many other roles than Professor X in the X-Men franchise, which is actually fitting for real-world conversations theorizing his return to the character.
Beck
Grammy-winning musician Beck also cameos as himself in The Bubble, with the artist even performing a song for the cast of Cliff Beasts 6. After The Bubble’s characters catch the flu and consider shutting down production, the studio head, Paula ( Live's Kate McKinnon), decides to arrange an event to show the studio’s appreciation for the cast continuing to make the movie. Paula reveals that she has recruited musician Beck to sing “Ladies Night” in a live-stream concert for the cast, with his private virtual performance being projected on the side of the hotel.
John Lithgow
Actor John Lithgow makes a short cameo in The Bubble as another studio executive who enjoys a lavish vacation while imploring the cast of Cliff Beasts 6 to continue making the movie. Lithgow’s The Bubble character Tom only appears briefly, featured over a Zoom call on the beaches of Fiji before abruptly ending his video feed. Along with having been part of film series like Planet of the Apes and Shrek, John Lithgow’s inclusion in The Bubble is preceded by his collaboration with director Judd Apatow in the 2012 comedy This Is 40.
Benedict Cumberbatch (Sort Of)
While Benedict Cumberbatch himself doesn’t appear in The Bubble, his face certainly does. When the cast and crew of Cliff Beasts 6 decide to get high together, the 2022 Netflix movie sees the characters hallucinating each others’ faces changing via CGI technology. At one point, the health officer, Gunther, morphs into Marvel Cinematic Universe franchise actor Benedict Cumberbatch, with the characters even telling him to "stop being Benedict Cumberbatch." Apatow's The Bubble then sees the Benedict Cumberbatch CGI say that he’s “Doctor Strange,” but it’s still said with Gunther’s voice. Although Cumberbatch wasn’t physically in Netflix’s The Bubble for a cameo, his likeness was very much present for one of the movie’s oddest scenes.
