Dwayne Johnson has responded to Vin Diesel’s public invitation for him to return to the Fast & Furious fold, calling it “manipulation” and reaffirming that he won’t be reprising his role as Lucas Hobbs .
Back in November, Diesel sparked rumours Johnson could potentially return when he issued a very public invitation on Instagram, urging him to make an appearance in the tenth instalment of the franchise.
“The world awaits the finale of ‘Fast 10,’” Diesel wrote. “As you know, my children refer to you as Uncle Dwayne in my house. There is not a holiday that goes by that they and you don’t send well wishes… but the time has come. Legacy awaits. I told you years ago that I was going to fulfill my promise to Pablo. I swore that we would reach and manifest the best Fast in the finale that is 10! I say this out of love… but you must show up, do not leave the franchise idle [as] you have a very important role to play.”[sic]
However, Johnson recently told CNN that he was “very surprised” by Diesel’s social media post, criticising how the actor “brought up his children in the post, as well as Paul Walker’s death”.
“I was very surprised by Vin’s recent post,” he said. “I told him [Diesel] 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,” he explained.
Johnson continued: “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.”
However, the Jungle Cruise star also stressed that he wished his former Fast & Furious teammates “the best of luck and success” moving forwards.
“My goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise with gratitude and grace. It’s unfortunate that this public dialogue has muddied the waters. Regardless, I’m confident in the ‘Fast’ universe and its ability to consistently deliver for the audience, and I truly wish my former co-stars and crew members the best of luck and success in the next chapter,” he concluded.
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!["Fast]("https://images.immediate.co.uk/production/volatile/sites/3/2020/05/fate-of-the-furious-43186c2.jpg?quality=90&resize=618%2C413" "\"Fast")