Fast X confirmed that the upcoming film sees the return of Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs despite the actor swearing off the franchise.
Per TheWrap, Johnson's return features in a post-credits scene for Fast X, the first in a new Fast & Furious trilogy to close out the series. This comes despite years of comments from Johnson claiming he would never return to the franchise. Reportedly, he and series star Vin Diesel repeatedly had confrontations while making the movies.
Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson's Feud
In June 2021, Diesel claimed that the feud between him and Johnson began because of his "tough love" approach to improving the latter's acting in The Fate of the Furious. Johnson later responded to questions about Diesel's comments, claiming it had made him laugh while confirming he would not return for any future films in the series, including Fast X. Later that same year, Diesel publically pleaded with Johnson to reprise his role for the new movies, citing his children and the late Paul Walker's passing. "I say this out of love... but you must show up, do not leave the franchise idle you have a very important role to play," he said.
Johnson responded to the public appeal when asked in an interview, clapping back at what he called an "example of [Diesel's] manipulation." The Hobbs & Shaw actor revealed he had told Diesel privately that he would not return to the franchise, along with their partners at Universal. Johnson called out Diesel for trying to make him come back with his public plea despite their conversations.
"I didn't like that he brought up his children in the post, as well as Paul Walker's death," Johnson explained. "Leave them out of it. We had spoken months ago about this and came to a clear understanding. My goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible Fast & Furious franchise with gratitude and grace. It's unfortunate that this public dialogue has muddied the waters. Regardless, I'm confident in the 'Fast' universe and its ability to consistently deliver for the audience, and I truly wish my former co-stars and crew members the best of luck and success in the next chapter."
Fast X hits theaters on May 19, 2023. It remains unclear if Johnson's appearance in the post-credits scene sets up his return in Fast & Furious 11 or if it will be a one-off.
Source: TheWrap