Dwayne Johnson confirms a big comeback in $7 billion Fast & Furious franchise

Following his surprise cameo in ‘Fast X’, Dwayne Johnson has announced that he will be making a big, muscular comeback to the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise despite having sworn off appearing in the franchise in the past. Johnson, and Universal Pictures, announced on social media that the actor will be donning the role of security service agent Luke Hobbs in an upcoming solo title within the franchise.

 “HOBBS IS BACK. And he just got lei’d. Luke Hobbs will be returning to the Fast & Furious franchise,” the Hollywood star tweeted.

Before his cameo, Johnson was last seen in the franchise spinoff ‘Hobbs and Shaw (2019)’ alongside Jason Statham, who portrayed former antagonist Deckard Shaw. Johnson first joined the franchise in 2011’s ‘Fast Five’, where his character was trying to arrest and apprehend the Toretto crew.

Hope you've got your funderwear on_

HOBBS IS BACK.
And he just got lei'd __

Luke Hobbs will be returning to the Fast & Furious franchise.

Your reactions around the world to Hobbs' return in Fast X have blown us away ____

The next Fast & Furious film you'll see the_ pic.twitter.com/vvtBgTBOnl

— Dwayne Johnson (@TheRock) June 1, 2023

The return to the franchise is a major backtracking from the former-wrestling superstar who had claimed repeatedly that he would not rejoin the Fast & Furious franchise. Johnson had left the franchise amidst off-screen drama with the franchise headliner Vin Diesel, who portrays the series protagonist Dominic Toretto. The two had been clashing on the sets of 2016’s ‘Fate of the Furious’, which led to Johnson penning an Instagram post that called out an unnamed male co-star in the franchise. After his exit, Diesel had publicly asked Johnson to return to the franchise in a social media post.

“I told 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,” Johnson had told CNN after Diesel’s post.

However, the two stars appear to have put their feud behind for the moment. “Last summer Vin and I put all the past behind us. We’ll lead with brotherhood and resolve - and always take care of the franchise, characters & FANS that we love,” Johnson said in his Twitter post.

His next appearance is going to be neither a spin-off nor a sequel to ‘Hobbs and Shaw’, instead it will act as a bridging film to the next installment in the series, ‘Fast X: Part II’.