Fast X: Dwayne Johnson Will Reportedly Make An Appearance After All
Contains spoilers for "Fast X"
It appears that the feud between Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and "Fast Saga" star-producer Vin Diesel is over, if the newest film in the franchise, "Fast X," is any indication.
According to The Wrap, Johnson appears in a post-credits sequence in the film, which opens in theaters on May 19, exactly one week after its red carpet premiere in Rome. The Wrap called the appearance "shocking" considering Johnson's insistence that he was done with the "Fast Saga" after his very public exit from the franchise after 2017's "The Fate of the Furious." At that time, Johnson aired his frustration on social media, calling some of his colleagues "candy asses," but did not indicate if Diesel was one of the people he targeted in the post.
Diesel tried to seemingly make peace with Johnson in 2021 when he asked his former castmate over social media if he would consider returning for "Fast X." Johnson told CNN of his response to Diesel's invite, divulging, "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."
Johnson also noted that he was polite in his conversation with Diesel. "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," he said.
There's no indication yet if Johnson is back to stay
Of course, until either Dwayne Johnson or Vin Diesel is ready to speak of Johnson's appearance in "Fast X" publicly, there's no indication of what transpired to make the actor want to return to the franchise. After "The Fate of the Furious" in 2017, Johnson, as well as fellow franchise star Jason Statham, did the 2019 "Fast" spin-off movie "Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw," which found their respective characters Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw taking on a new villain, Brixton Lore (Idris Elba), in "Fast & Furious" fashion.
Meanwhile, one of Johnson's former WWE wrestling colleagues-turned-actors took on a starring role in 2021's "F9: The Fast Saga," as John Cena plays Jakob Toretto, the estranged brother of Diesel's Dominic Toretto. The new "Fast X" introduces yet another brawny superstar, Jason Momoa, to the "Fast" mix.
If Johnson decides to return to the "Fast" franchise following his surprise turn in the post-credits scene in "Fast X," he'll have not one — but two — opportunities to do it. According to a report from Erik Davis from the red carpet in Rome, Diesel seemed to confirm that two more "Fast" movies are on the way. The next film, as previously pointed out, is due in theaters sometime in 2025.
Meanwhile, "Fast X" will open in theaters Friday, May 19.