Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson refuses to return to the ‘Fast and Furious’ franchise, accusing Vin Diesel of ‘manipulation’
After Vin Diesel’s Instagram post asking Dwayne Johnson to reprise his role in the next ‘Fast and Furious,’ The Rock said “there is no chance,” and that the public invitation was an example of Diesel’s manipulation.
In an interview with CNN, Dwayne Johnson has publicly responded to Vin Diesel’s invitation to rejoin the cast for Fast And Furious 10, saying he was surprised by the post, especially after privately telling Diesel he would not be returning to the franchise.
“I was very surprised by Vin's recent post,” Johnson said. “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.”
In the original Instagram post Vin Diesel told Johnson to ”rise to the occasion and fulfill your destiny.” Diesel also mentioned that his children still call Johnson ‘Uncle Dwayne’ and said that he is committed to fulfilling his promise to Pablo (Paul Walker), who played one of the main characters since the first film and until his death in 2013.
Dwayne Johnson, however, did not respond kindly to the post, saying it was manipulative and did not respect his wish to leave the franchise.
“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.”
He went on to say that he regretted that the public dialogue had muddied the waters, but nevertheless was confident in the franchise’s ability to “consistently deliver for the audience” and wished his co-stars and cast the best of luck and success.
Johnson had been a part of the franchise since 2011 and left the mainline series in 2017. However, he did reprise his role in 2019’s Hobbs & Shaw alongside Jason Statham.
The latest Fast and Furious 10 is set to premiere in May 2023.