Dwayne Johnson Despised Vin Diesel for Using Paul Walker’s Death to Manipulate Him: “Leave them out of it”

Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel’s infamous friction in The Fast and the Furious Franchise has been highly publicized and well-documented. The WWE champion, who joined Diesel in the 5th installment of the series, lent the franchise a lot of hype with his high-profile presence. But the anticipation of seeing two big action stars lock horns was marred by the news of their on-set tension.

Action stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson

Despite getting along famously in the initial stages, Diesel and Johnson did not see eye to eye on many creative decisions during their collaboration in Fast Five. The Rock went on record to make it clear in no uncertain terms that he would not return to the franchise to reprise his role. Cut to 2023, a lot has changed, with the Black Adam star having appeared in the mid-credits scenes of Fast X, the 10th film in the mammoth series. But a trip down memory lane shows that the Jumanji 2 actor felt manipulated by Diesel when he was asked to make a comeback in the earlier films.

Dwayne Johnson Accused Vin Diesel Of Emotional Blackmail

The complicated saga between action stars Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson has been making headlines for many years. With controversies surrounding creative clashes between the two actors, Johnson went on record to state that he will not be part of the franchise after Fast Five and the spinoff film Hobbs and Shaw. The Rock also criticized the Groot actor for emotionally blackmailing him to be part of The Fast and the Furious 9 using the late Paul Walker’s name. Speaking of being pushed to a corner, Johnson released a statement saying,

“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.”

Dwayne Johnson accused Vin Diesel of using the late Paul Walker’s name to manipulate him
Johnson went on to add that while his issues were only with Vin Diesel, he did not harbor any malice towards the franchise or the other members of the cast and was always keen on the films doing well at the box office.

Why Is Dwayne Johnson Back In Fast X?

Despite being vehement about not wanting to associate himself with The Fast and The Furious franchise, Dwayne Johnson looks to have put his complicated past with Vin Diesel behind him with his surprise appearance in the recently released Fast X. Johnson, who appears in the mid-credits scene of the film, reprised his role as Luke Hobbs from the 5th installment. While some sources indicated a possible patch-up between the two action stars that resulted in Johnson’s presence in the film, there is no official confirmation of the same.

Dwayne Johnson appeared in the mid-credits scene in Fast X

A few rumors circulating around seem to suggest that Johnson is doing damage control after the dismal failure of his DC film Black Adam in which he played the titular superhero. With the film receiving lukewarm responses from critics and fans worldwide, speculation is rife about Johnson’s attempt to redeem himself and his career by accepting to be part of Fast X.