Dwayne Johnson Wanted To Punch Vin Diesel Just as Much as He Punched Him in $726M Movie So That Diesel Doesn’t Become a Bigger Star Than Him

Coming from World Wrestling Entertainment, Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has made his name in the Hollywood A-listers. He is currently one of the highest-paid actors giving many action hits including Furious 7 which grossed over $1.5 billion at the box office, making it the highest-grossing film in Johnson’s career.

Vin Diesel, also a prominent A-lister, known for The Fast and Furious franchise or playing MCU’s Groot has marked his name in Hollywood action stars’ legacy. Both actors have worked in the Fast and Furious franchise but they do not share mutual respect.

Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel. Source: Universal Pictures

The Punching Feud Between Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel

Johnson’s primary reason for leaving the Fast and Furious franchise is the feud between him and Vin Diesel. As per reports, in order to be the genesis of the action sequences, Diesel proposed an uncanny idea on who would take more punches and kicks. He also wanted to keep track of every move made by his co-stars while filming an action sequence.

Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel onscreen fighting. Source: Universal Studios

Further, he attempted assigning numerical values to every action move to calculate a total and determine if the two men were getting whacked evenly. However, The Rock did not like his co-stars’ idea but rather believed in everyone getting equally hit. Many speculate that Diesel being the producer pitched the idea to prevent the likes of Johnson from emerging as the bigger star in the franchise. Following the feud, The Rock left the $726 Million movie.

Why The Rock Regrets Going Public About the Feud?

Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel. Source: Universal Pictures

The feud between the stars took a turn when the former wrestler went public about the conflict. In an interview for Vanity Fair The Rock said that he regrets his action, “It caused a firestorm,” he said.

“Yet interestingly enough…[it was] as if every single crew member found their way to me and either quietly thanked me or sent me a note.

“But, yeah, it wasn’t my best day, sharing that. I shouldn’t have shared that. Because at the end of the day, that goes against my DNA. I don’t share things like that. And I take care of that kind of bulls**t away from the public.”
He also confirms that despite the conflict, he met Diesel to resolve the issue. “It really became just crystal clear that we are two separate ends of the spectrum. And agreed to leave it there,” he said. Vin Diesel stayed out of the controversy but stated that he considers The Rock as “a brother.”

The Rock’s Hobbs May Not Come Back to the Franchise

Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel. Source: Universal Picture

It is safe to say that the Fast and Furious franchise escalated Johnson’s fans to a new level putting him into the spot of the A-listers. His character, Luke Hobbs even got his own spin-off but it is highly unlikely that fans will get to see Hobbs played by The Rock in the franchise’s last two mainline entries- Fast X and Fast 11. As per reports, Fast X will feature flashbacks to Fast Five while introducing the main villain, Dante who will be played by Jason Momoa. Following his absence in F9: The Fast Saga, former professional wrestler John Cena joined the project, his character is much similar to Luke Hobbs in The Fast Five depicting an antagonist-turned-hero.