A lot of Fast and Furious fans were surprised when it was announced that Dwayne Johnson would be jumping back into the franchise, especially after the very public beef he had with Vin Diesel, but they managed to put their differences aside and make something work.
Johnson is now set to star in another spinoff film that will bridge the gap between the events of Fast X and the Fast X sequel which is expected in 2025. Johnson will appear in the sequel as well, which is said to put an end to the legacy franchise.
During a recent interview with CB, Fast X director Louis Leterrier was asked about Johnson and Diesel’s reconciliation, and he said:
“I just like the idea of them coming back together. What I realized – I’m like you, I was a fan reading – they’ve been talking all along. They were like text buddies wishing each other ‘Happy Birthday,’ ‘Merry Christmas.’ But being each in each other’s life … It’s more like, with these two characters work in the same universe, especially since Hobbs & Shaw was such a different tone. It was such a different departure from the original franchise … We collectively looked at each other and said, ‘Frankly, wouldn’t it be great? Not only for the franchise, but also for the fans and for you guys, for us just to get back on the same train together?’ And that’s a conversation that they had. I was lucky to be able to work with Dwayne that one day and possibly more looking forward.”
He went on to talk about being in the director’s chair for this franchise because he grew up on those original films as a fan. He said:
“The thing about my reaching this position on this franchise is that I grew up as a fan … I’m the kid in the candy store and the owners have left, I’m like, ‘All right, here we go. Let’s go!’ … My wishes become reality, you know, if everybody agrees.”
Leterrier was then asked if he was worried about serving as a referee between the two actors when they start working together again, and he said:
“No, no, no, no, no, no, no. They’re really good. There’s no fight. Honestly, this set is so lovely, so fun, so enjoyable. … I’m not giving you lip service. I really had a great time. Like I was nervous. I was nervous, you know, I walked in, I was nervous, but everybody works so hard and wants the best for these franchises. Yeah. No, it’s really about forward momentum and we have it.”
I just hope the next couple of films bring the franchise to an end in a strong way, because the last couple of movies have been disappointing. Fast X: Part 2 is scheduled to be released on April 2, 2025.
