Fast X: Vin Diesel addresses The Rock’s shock return
Universal PicturesVin Diesel has addressed the jaw-dropping return of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson’s Agent Hobbs in Fast X.
Johnson stomped into the franchise in Fast Five, playing a hulking, baby-oil-smothered DSS officer tasked with hunting down Dom and his fugitive crew and refusing to let anyone stand in his way.
While he brawled with the Toretto patriarch, they eventually teamed up to take on Hernan Reyes and worked together on a number of missions thereafter, facing off against Deckard Shaw and blowing up a massive submarine in Russia. He then appeared in Hobbs and Shaw, a “Fast and Furious Presents” spinoff.
However, the beef between The Rock and Diesel saw him depart the series and vow to never return – until now.
Vin Diesel addresses The Rock’s return in Fast X
Johnson reprises his role as Luke Hobbs in the Fast X post-credits scene – you can read more about that here.
During a recent event, Diesel told Variety: “I’m so excited to have them back home and even more excited to see fan reactions and to see how happy it makes people.”
Johnson has yet to discuss his return to the franchise, but it’s not exactly surprising: he’s a celebrity beholden to his enormous legion of fans, and his attempt at launching a flagship DC (anti)hero with Black Adam failed rather dramatically.
In late 2021, Diesel pleaded with Johnson on social media to join the cast of Fast and Furious 10 for one last ride. “My little brother Dwayne… the time has come. The world awaits the finale of Fast 10,” he wrote.
Johnson told CNN he’d already 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.”
In the end, director Louis Leterrier brokered the “peace treaty” with the two stars. “We sort of looked at each other from across the room and winked a few months back, saying, ‘We should work together’,” he told The Hollywood Reporter.
“And then I had this idea and I presented it to the producers and the studio. And then we reached out to Dwayne and his team, and said, ‘Just come and watch the movie. You have to love the movie first.’ So he came to see the movie and really loved it, and then we started talking. It was very smooth, and frankly, as a fan, I could not conceive continuing the franchise without [Johnson].”
Fast X is in cinemas now, and you can check out the rest of our Fast and Furious 10 coverage below:
Fast X review | Post-credits scenes | Ending explained | Who dies? | Is Fast X streaming? | Will there be a Fast & Furious 11? | Fast X cast and characters | Fast X soundtrack | How long is Fast X runtime? | Fast X budget | Is Paul Walker in Fast X? | Meadow Walker cameo | Does Gad Gadot return? | Who does Pete Davidson play? | Is Mr Nobody in Fast X? | Is Leon in Fast & Furious 10? | Is The Rock in Fast X? | Will there be a Hobbs & Shaw 2? | Who does Alan Ritchson play? | How to watch Fast and Furious movies in order
