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How The Rock & Vin Diesel’s Feud Changed Fast & Furious Movies

The feud between leading men Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson changed how the Fast & Furious movies were made. The franchise began back in 2001 with The Fast and the Furious, starring Diesel and Paul Walker. Johnson then joined the series with Fast Five in 2011. However, on the set of the later sequels, the two stars clashed. The feud eventually caused Johnson to leave the mainline saga of the franchise for the spin-off Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw.

The feud between Diesel and Johnson became public in 2016, during the production of The Fate of the Furious. Pre-production of the following sequel, F9 was also troubled due to the feud, and Johnson eventually announced his exit from the movie, resulting in changes to the script. Instead of fully departing the franchise, though, Johnson and Jason Statham went off and led the Hobbs & Shaw spin-off. Diesel later attempted to get Johnson to return to the Fast Saga part of the franchise with Fast X, the penultimate entry in the series. But Johnson once again declined.

Related: Fast X’s Ridiculous Budget Makes All The Wildest Theories More Likely

The Rock & Vin Diesel Feud Explained
Vin Diesel vs The Rock in Fast 5

The feud between Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson became public during the filming of The Fate of the Furious in 2016. Johnson published a since-deleted post on Instagram where he called unspecified cast members “candy asses.” It was immediately speculated that he was insulting Diesel, though he did not directly identify the target of his ire. The feud continued when both stars exchanged veiled insults on further social media posts. In September 2016, their co-star Michelle Rodriguez confirmed that there had been tensions between Diesel and Johnson on the set but stated that the two were capable of setting aside their differences.

Later, following a delay in production on F9: The Fast Saga, Tyrese Gibson joined in on the feud, blaming Johnson, alongside his Seven Buck Productions producing partner Hiram Garcia, for the ongoing problems. Diesel then seemingly defended Johnson, claiming that the franchise required “maintenance issues.” However, Johnson later confirmed that he would not return to the franchise in the ninth installment of the Fast Saga.

The origins of the feud may lie in the casting of Johnson back in Fast Five. It was only with this fifth entry of the Fast & Furious franchise that the series really began to succeed, both critically and commercially. This was in part due to the casting of Johnson, an actor who regularly sees both box office success and large paychecks. Diesel, who both stars as Dom and produces the Fast & Furious franchise, is notoriously protective of the series and regularly refers to himself as a patriarchal figure among the cast and crew. Johnson has cited the feud as a “fundamental difference in philosophies.”

The Feud Caused One Hilarious Fast 6 Scene
Fast and Furious Vin Diesel The Rock

While the feud between Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson did not become public until 2016, it’s entirely possible that it may have started all the way back during the production of Fast & Furious 6. There is a scene in the movie that is staged to make it look like Diesel and Johnson are having a face-to-face conversation, but the hilariously bad forced perspective used to make it look like they’re the same size also makes it obvious that they are not even looking at each other. During the scene, Johnson even appears to change size with each shot.

Related: Has It Become Impossible To Kill Off Any Fast & Furious Characters?

With a forced perspective shot, filmmakers have to account for differing eye lines, as the actors involved will not be looking at each other, since one will be further away from the camera than the other. However, this scene in Fast & Furious 6 seemingly makes no attempt to consider this, with Diesel and Johnson obviously looking past one another. It’s a bizarre filmmaking choice that only seems to exist to shrink Johnson down to Diesel’s more average height. This scene could be evidence of the feud between the two actors affecting the Fast & Furious movies long before The Fate of the Furious.

The Feud Made Shooting F8 Worse
The Rock Holds the Door as He Skates on Ice in Fate of the Furious

Following the release of The Fate of the Furious in 2017, Dwayne Johnson revealed that he and Vin Diesel did not shoot a single scene together. Diesel also used his position as a producer on the movie to cut a scene that was to take place during The Fate of the Furious’s ending, reuniting Johnson’s character with Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw. Despite overwhelmingly positive test audience feedback, the scene was removed from the theatrical cut and only seen afterward as an extra on the home video release of the movie. Johnson was not only seemingly agitated by this but also by Diesel’s behavior on the set. Supposedly, Diesel was constantly late for filming.

During the marketing campaign for The Fate of the Furious, Diesel broke his silence on the feud. He claimed that it was a thing of the past and had been exaggerated by the press. He also stated that he used his position as a producer to “protect” Johnson and expressed that he affectionately calls him Uncle Dwayne. Diesel also expressed that he used a “tough love” approach with Johnson to get the performance he wanted from his character. It was after these statements from Diesel that Johnson revealed the philosophical differences between the two during production.

The Rock Left F9 For Hobbs & Shaw

Following The Fate of the Furious, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson did not return to the mainline part of the Fast & Furious franchise. Both Vin Diesel and Johnson confirmed that they were returning for F9: The Fast Saga in April 2017, but by April 2018, Johnson had changed his tune. Claiming that he was focusing on the spin-off Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, Johnson stated that he was not sure that he would return for F9. By January 2019, Johnson finally confirmed his exit from F9, though at that point he did not rule out returning to the franchise for future installments.

Related: Brie Larson’s Fast & Furious Casting Makes A Female Spinoff More Likely

The Feud Seemed Settled After Hobbs & Shaw

After the release of the Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw, the feud between Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson seemed to have been settled. Johnson took to Instagram to thank “brother Vin” for his support for the spin-off. However, their Fast & Furious co-star Tyrese Gibson seemingly re-ignited the feud by mocking the movie’s box office numbers in a now-deleted post on Instagram. Following Gibson’s comments, however, Fast & Furious writer Chris Morgan denied a feud existed between Diesel and Johnson.

Diesel Asked The Rock To Return In Fast X
Fast X Vin Diesel driving

Following Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s absence from F9: The Fast Saga, Vin Diesel took to Instagram in November 2021 to publicly ask his former co-star to return to the franchise in Fast X. However, Johnson confirmed that he would not return to the mainline Fast & Furious series and cited mentions of Paul Walker in Diesel’s social media post as manipulative. Johnson stated that he was supportive of the franchise and his co-stars but that there is “no chance” of his return to the series. These comments indicate that the feud between the two is still very much alive.

Will The Rock Ever Return To Fast & Furious?
The rock vin diesel Feud Fast and furious 10 canon

Given Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s public comments, it’s unlikely that he will return to the Fast & Furious franchise. Fast X is also the penultimate entry, at least in the Fast Saga, and with the final movie supposedly releasing in 2024, it’s hard to see Johnson’s opinion changing quickly enough. However, there’s a chance that Johnson might return through a sequel to Hobbs & Shaw. Following Vin Diesel’s November 2021 social media post, Johnson stated that the script for Hobbs & Shaw 2 was well underway and that he had pitched an idea to Universal. However, the ongoing feud between Diesel and Johnson means it’s doubtful that the latter will ever return to the mainline Fast & Furious franchise.

Next: F9’s Jakob Toretto Ending Happened Too Soon (& Doomed Fast 10)

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Fast & Furious 11 Release Delay & Filming Start Date Confirmed By Director

Summary

Fast and Furious 11
is facing a release date delay to Summer 2026 due to strikes, with director Louis Leterrier confirming the sequel will not be hitting its April 4, 2025 date.
Leterrier also confirms that filming starts in Fall 2025 after finishing a horror movie in September.
The final installment in the
Fast Saga
reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto for one last ride, while also leaving the door open for other spinoffs.

After facing multiple delays due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes, Fast and Furious 11 is seeing its release date delayed. The next installment in the Vin Diesel-fronted franchise is expected to be the last mainline sequel, while development continues on the Dwayne Johnson-led spinoff Hobbs & Reyes, a mysterious standalone movie penned by Fast X’s Zach Dean and a potential female-led spinoff. While a filming start date was never confirmed, Universal had previously set the movie for an April 2025 release date.

During a recent interview with Collider at a CCXP MX panel, Louis Leterrier was asked for an update on Fast and Furious 11. The director went on to confirm that the final mainline installment in the action franchise will no longer be making its April 4, 2025 release date, instead now aiming for a Summer 2026 release window with the filming start date being set for this fall. Check out what Leterrier said below:

It’s happening. It’s happening very, very soon. I’m able to shoot a little horror movie this summer. I’m finishing my horror movie on September 15th, and I start Fast on September 16th.

Will Fast 11’s Multiple Delays Help Or Hurt The Sequel?

Much like the tenth film before it, Fast and Furious 11 has faced a few behind-the-scenes hardships in its road to getting off the ground, namely the delays stemming from the 2023 strikes. While the latest movie seems to have retained its core creative team in comparison to the shift in directors from franchise vet Justin Lin to Leterrier on Fast X after reported creative differences between the former and Diesel, this change didn’t seem to help much with the continued downward trend recent sequels have seen from critics. Check out how the franchise’s Rotten Tomatoes scores compare below:

Title RT Critical Score RT Audience Score The Fast and the Furious 54% 74% 2 Fast 2 Furious 37% 50% The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift 37% 69% Fast & Furious 28% 67% Fast Five 78% 83% Fast & Furious 6 71% 84% Furious 7 81% 82% The Fate of the Furious 67% 72% Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw 67% 88% F9: The Fast Saga 59% 82% Fast X 56% 84%

Even looking outside the Fast and Furious franchise, many movie sequels have found themselves hurt by various delays, be they from creative changes, general release shifts or other factors. The action genre in particular is one in which lengthier development periods can lead to diminishing returns, be it A Good Day to Die Hard, Rambo: Last Blood or Diesel’s own xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. While Fast and Furious 11 may only be getting pushed back by a year, the delay is nonetheless a concern that the final installment could find itself in trouble.

Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) looking angry with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) looking unimpressed in Fast & Furious

Related 10 Most Exciting Things To Expect From Fast 11 Fast & Furious 11 will pull all the strings to become bigger than the previous installments, and here is why the film is worth being excited about.

On the other hand, the longer wait for Fast and Furious 11 to close out the mainline series of movies could actually prove beneficial for the sequel. Though Leterrier may be busy with another project in the lead-up to filming the next installment, writers Oren Uziel and Christina Hodson should now have more than enough time to really look back at the script and ensure it learns from the critical missteps of recent installments to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the Dominic Toretto saga.

Source: Collider

Fast and Furious 11 temp poster Fast and Furious 11 Fast and Furious 11 is the final movie in the Fast Saga. It reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto with the rest of the cast for one last ride. However, the franchise is open for spinoff films like Hobbs & Shaw afterward.Director Louis Leterrier Release Date April 4, 2025 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Christina Hodson , Oren Uziel

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Vin Diesel Already Has His Perfect Fast & Furious Replacement Franchise With 51-Year-Old Remake

Summary

Vin Diesel’s dominance in Fast & Furious is ending, but Kojak could kick off a new action franchise for him.
Kojak’s reboot faces an uncertain future, but its similarity to Fast & Furious makes it a worthy project for Diesel.
Diesel’s potential shift from criminal racer to cop signifies a fresh start in a possible Fast & Furious-like series.

Vin Diesel’s days of playing Dominic Toretto are numbered, but the actor has already found his perfect Fast & Furious replacement. Diesel found a major breakout role in the early 2000s thanks to participating in The Fast and the Furious. The original 2001 street racing crime movie became the springboard for a sprawling franchise that has lasted for over two decades. The success of the Fast & Furious movies transformed Vin Diesel’s career, turning him into an even bigger star, especially in the action movie genre. But, Fast & Furious 11 is planned as the final chapter for him and the franchise.

The Fast & Furious franchise’s end will put Vin Diesel in an unfamiliar position of not having a major franchise to lean back on. This presents the actor with various options, such as changing the course of his career to pursue non-franchise roles. However, the more likely outcome is that Diesel will attempt to find a new IP that can replace Fast & Furious. He has had trouble in that regard recently, with franchises like xXx or Riddick running cold and Bloodshot and The Last Witch Hunter failing to launch franchises. There is another option for Diesel, though.

2:03 Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto from The Fast & Furious Franchise

Related Vin Diesel May Have Spoiled Fast & Furious 11’s Ending With $2.7 Billion Movie Comparison Dom’s death happening in Fast & Furious 11 may have been spoiled already, with Vin Diesel comparing the upcoming movie to another big franchise.

Kojak Can Be Vin Diesel’s New Action Crime Franchise After Fast & Furious
Diesel Has Been Developing The Reboot Since 2015

The impending conclusion of the Fast & Furious franchise means it is finally time for Vin Diesel’s Kojak reboot to get off the ground. The project was announced back in 2015 with Diesel re-teaming with Universal Pictures, the studio behind Fast & Furious, to develop a movie based on Kojak. The original TV series starred Telly Savalas as Theo Kokaj and ran for three seasons after debuting in 1973. The series revolves around Kojak, a New York detective known for being willing to go beyond the law and a love for cars and lollipops, and follows him as he investigates different cases.

Kojak was rebooted in 2005 as a TV show starring Ving Rhames, but it only ran for six episodes

Development on Vin Diesel’s Kojak movie has not been very active in the nine years since it was announced. However, it still maintains the base similarities to Fast & Furious, which makes the project a worthwhile endeavor for Diesel in terms of finding a new action franchise. He would now have another big action series about cars and crime, essentially making Kojak into a newer version of Fast & Furious. The irony here is that Diesel takes on the role of a cop after playing criminal racer Dominic Toretto.

Vin Diesel’s Involvement Can Morph Kojak Into A Major Action Franchise
Kojak Could Be A Fast & Furious Clone
Telly Savalas talking on the phone in Kojak

Looking at the original TV show, Kojak might not necessarily project to be a major blockbuster action franchise akin to Fast & Furious. The TV series was relatively grounded and small due to the nature of its production. However, the fact that Diesel and Universal pinpointed this property as something they wanted to revive together is telling. The announcement of Kojak’s reboot came months after Furious 7 debuted in theaters and took the franchise to new heights at the box office and in terms of how ridiculously big the action and story could get.

It’s sometimes difficult to remember that Fast & Furious started off with a story about DVD thieves who were also street racers before Diesel helped turn it into something much bigger. With that experience and success already behind him, it would be understandable if a similar path was envisioned for Kojak. The series could then morph into a Fast & Furious clone, one that gives Vin Diesel a new franchise to headline and Universal a “fresh” action franchise to grow.

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The Rock’s WWE Run Means Fast & Furious 11 Must Make 1 Major Hobbs Change

Summary

Hobbs from Fast & Furious 11 needs a gritty edge like The Rock’s WWE character to keep the franchise fresh and exciting.
The Rock’s time away from the Fast & Furious universe provides the perfect reason for Hobbs to return with a personal vendetta and a more savage attitude.
While Hobbs shouldn’t become a full-fledged villain in Fast & Furious 11, adding some edginess and dirty tricks could make his character more intriguing and dynamic.

Fast & Furious 11 must make one major Hobbs change after The Rock’s incredible WWE run. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s WWE return surpassed his recent movies, with the actor creating some of the best work of his career. Having returned to a thunderous reception, The Rock was able to flip the crowd’s reception by becoming a heel and playing a major part in WrestleMania’s main events. The Rock hasn’t played a villain on screen for years, as even his depiction of Black Adam lent more into the character’s anti-hero side, which made his wrestling run all the more refreshing.

While his wrestling character may not perfectly translate into the Fast & Furious universe, there is one aspect of The Rock’s WWE run that the franchise should attempt to implement. After debuting in Fast Five, The Rock’s best Fast & Furious scenes helped contribute to the movie series becoming so popular, with Luke Hobbs becoming an instrumental part of the story. He was even given his own spinoff alongside Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) and is set to get a solo movie in the future. Despite this, Hobbs would still benefit from adding one key aspect of The Rock’s WWE run.

The Rock’s WWE Run Proves Fast & Furious 11 Needs To Give Hobbs More Of An Edge
Fast & Furious Would Benefit From Hobbs Adopting Some Of The Rock’s WWE Tendancies
Dwayne The Rock Johnson in Black Adam, WWE, and Hobbs and Shaw

Given how electrifying The Rock’s recent WWE run was, there is no doubt Fast & Furious 11 needs to give Hobbs more of an edge. Although the character has had his more serious moments, like most of the Fast & Furious cast, Hobbs tends to mix action with comedy. Hobbs and Shaw are supposed to be two of the more stoic heroes, yet they are constantly at each other’s throats and cracking jokes to help maintain the franchise’s lighthearted core. However, giving Hobbs a grittier side would help the character thrive upon his return.

The Rock’s Fast & Furious return may redeem Fast X’s box office, but the character needs to come back stronger than ever. By allowing him to be more ruthless, he can still maintain some elements of comedy but also become more interesting in the process. Johnson proved that despite being a detestable heel, he was still as hilarious as ever during his recent WWE tenure. This proves that he can maintain Fast & Furious’ tone and humorous style while being more layered; therefore, Hobbs adopting some of The Rock’s WWE characteristics could make him even more entertaining.

Fast & Furious Already Has A Reason For Hobbs To Be More Savage
Hobbs Has Been Away From The Franchise For Several Years

Making a major change to Hobbs’ character could be tough to explain, but Fast & Furious 11 already has a great reason to make him more savage. His four-year absence from the franchise gives him a perfect excuse to come back with a vengeance and potentially have a personal attachment to Fast & Furious 11’s villains. Hobbs’ time away from the main story could be explained through a connection to Fast X’s secondary villain, Aimes. Aimes’ villain twist in Fast X was well executed and suggests he’ll be around for the sequel, which is the perfect reason to bring back Hobbs.

Having a more personal story with one of the villains could allow Hobbs to continue his great quips and one-liners, but it would also give him more of an edge.

Fast X never explained why he’s back, but having a personal vendetta against Aimes could be an intriguing reason. Given Dom and Dante are the focal point of the franchise’s conclusion, Hobbs returning to take down Aimes would avoid overshadowing the main story while still giving him an interesting role. Having a personal story with one of the villains could allow Hobbs to continue his great quips and one-liners, while also giving him more of an edge. This provides The Rock with the perfect reason to implement some of his heel traits while still portraying a morally good hero.

2:34 Image 147 Related Predicting The Ending Of All 13 Fast & Furious Characters In Fast 11 The Fast Saga is set to conclude with Fast & Furious 11 – or Fast X 2 – but how will Dom Toretto and his family’s stories come to a definitive end?

Why Fast & Furious Can’t Bring The Rock Back As A Villain
Hobbs Already Appeared As An Antagonist In Fast Five
A custom image featuring Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious movies Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury

Although The Rock’s villainous tendencies worked well in the WWE, Fast & Furious can’t bring him back as an antagonist. Johnson already played the main villain of Fast Five, as Hobbs was originally an enemy of Dom and his crew before becoming an ally. Hobbs’ role in Fast Five was one of his best, but despite being the main antagonist, he always had a level of integrity. Dropping all of this to make him a villain in the final movie would be completely unnecessary, especially as the franchise needs him to remain a hero for his spinoff.

Fast & Furious 11 may end the main story, but The Rock will be part of the franchise beyond this, and altering his character so drastically wouldn’t make any sense. Instead, adding some extra edge to his character would have the same effect and would avoid stealing the thunder from Dante and Aimes. Although Fast & Furious 11 shouldn’t make him a villain, the film can still allow Hobbs to play dirty and pull some cheap tricks in order to show a grittier side, while letting him taunt his enemies when he inevitably helps save the day.

Fast & Furious 11
is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 4, 2025.

Fast and Furious 11 temp poster Fast and Furious 11 Fast and Furious 11 is the final movie in the Fast Saga. It reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto with the rest of the cast for one last ride. However, the franchise is open for spinoff films like Hobbs & Shaw afterward.Director Louis Leterrier Release Date April 4, 2025 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Christina Hodson , Oren Uziel

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