The Rock doesn’t seem to be budging anytime soon on his vow to never return to the Fast and Furious franchise. Vin Diesel recently took to Instagram back in November to issue out a plea to Dwayne Johnson to return for what will likely be the final installment in the Fast Saga – Fast and Furious 10. Both Johnson and Diesel have been locked in a feud with one another for the past several years.
Back on August 8, 2016 The Rock made a post on Instagram – that has since been deleted – praising his Fast and Furious female co-stars, while criticizing some of his male co-stars. While Johnson never named anyone specifically, he dubbed these co-stars as “candy asses.” Rumors began to circulate quickly that Johnson was referring to Diesel. This was later confirmed as both Johnson and Diesel acknowledged the feud in several interviews over the next few years.
In regards to Diesel’s November Instagram post, he pleaded with his “little brother Dwayne” to return to the franchise, also mentioning the passing of co-star Paul Walker. This didn’t sit well with The Rock, who spoke on the matter during an interview with CNN Entertainment. Johnson said that the Instagram post was an example of Diesel’s “manipulation.”
He also noted that he was “firm yet cordial” with Diesel in a private conversation that he would not be returning to the franchise. Check out Johnson’s full comments below.
“I was very surprised by Vin’s recent post. This past June, when Vin and I actually connected not over social media, I told him directly – and privately – that I would not be returning to the franchise. I was firm yet cordial with my words and said that I would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return.
“I privately spoke with my partners at Universal as well, all of whom were very supportive as they understand the problem. Vin’s recent public post was an example of his manipulation. I didn’t like that he brought up his children in the post, as well as Paul Walker’s death. 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.”
The potential for Luke Hobbs to not be a part of the Fast and Furious finale is certainly a disappointing prospect for fans. Of course, Johnson’s Hobbs can still be seen in his spin-off franchise Hobbs & Shaw alongside Jason Statham.