After a public falling out, Johnson said there was ‘no chance’ he’d ever return to the franchise.
Vin Diesel loves when the Fast & Furious family comes together.
Diesel spoke with ET’s Matt Cohen on Saturday at the block party for Charlize Theron’s Africa Outreach project in Los Angeles, where he reacted to the shocking Fast X credits scene, which features Dwayne Johnson’s return to the franchise as Agent Luke Hobbs.
Following a social media spat between Diesel and Johnson, Johnson vowed in 2021 that there was “no chance” of him returning to star in a Fast & Furious movie — with plans instead to spin off his and Jason Statham’s characters in a series of Hobbs & Shaw films.
However, the Fast X post-credits scene features Jason Momoa’s villain calling Hobbs to tell him he’s coming for him next — all but confirming Johnson’s return for the 11th Fast film.
“We have such a great cast,” Diesel shared when asked about the surprise return. “We lead with love. We try to create an environment where people can do their best work.”
“That’s all actors really want, is to feel as though they’re supported to create unique characters. Characters that last forever,” he added, “and you see that in this franchise.”
While fans already know that the new Fast X isn’t the end of the road — as Diesel announced at this year’s CinemaCon that the 11th film is slated for release in 2025 — many are wondering just how many more installments could be expected.
For Diesel, this is a delicate subject — specifically because of how much love there is for the franchise as a whole.
“The last time I told my daughter [it] was the last one, all I saw was tears,” Diesel said with a small laugh. “So I gotta be really careful [about] who and what I say.”
Fast X brings together many of the heroes and villains from the franchise’s storied history and pits them against a new, bigger threat with even crazier stunts. The latest installment takes the wild cast around the globe from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the streets of Tbilisi as they work to fight off foes, new and old, and keep the Fast family together.
The massive ensemble supporting Diesel includes Theron, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, John Cena, Jason Momoa, Brie Larson, Helen Mirren, Rita Moreno, Jason Statham, Daniela Melchior, Scott Eastwood, Nathalie Emmanuel and Alan Ritchson, among many others.
Fast X is in theaters now.