Though he appeared in Hobbs & Shaw, Dwayne Johnson was said to be done with the Fast franchise with Fate of the Furious. Though Johnson had a falling out with Fast star Vin Diesel, Diesel had offered a public plea for the Rock to come back to the franchise—but the Rock just isn’t going to have it.
Talking to CNN, the Rock opens up about his refusal to return to the Fast franchise and even calls Diesel out for being manipulative about him coming back. Johnson says:
“I told [Diesel] directly 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… 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.”
Originally cast as an antagonist, Johnson’s Agent Hobbs had made his franchise debut with Fast Five in 2011, and had bowed out of the main series of films in 2017 with Fate of the Furious. Though he still appeared in Hobbs & Shaw, I think this statement is the final nail on the coffin when it comes to the Rock appearing in what some consider to be the last Fast entry.
The Rock may not be returning, but you can catch franchise regulars Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Ludacris, and more when Fast 10 hits theaters sometime in 2023.
