Fast 10 director Louis Letterier revealed how Dwayne Johnson ended up in the movie's post-credits scene.
Johnson has been a significant part of the Fast franchise ever since his debut as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five. The WWE Legend reappeared in the next three installments as well as a spin-off film alongside Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw.
Why Did Dwayne Johnson Return in Fast X?
Warning - the rest of the article contains spoilers for Fast X.
Fast X's mid-credits scene featured Dwayne Johnson's return as Luke Hobbs. During the sequence, Jason Momoa's Dante threatened Hobbs over the phone for his involvement in his father's death.
Before the character's epic comeback, Johnson and lead star Vin Diesel had a well-documented (and very public) feud.
In August 2016, Johnson described unnamed members of the Fast and Furious cast as "candy asses" in a since-deleted Instagram post.
After filming for The Fate of the Furious wrapped in 2016, the Jumanji and Black Adam star thanked his fellow castmates on Instagram by name, but he didn't mention Diesel.
After several more interviews and Instagram posts, Johnson ultimately mentioned in late 2021 via CNN that he wouldn't return to the Fast and Furious franchise as Hobbs.
So, did Johnson's return mark the end of his feud with Vin Diesel?
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, Fast 10 director Louis Leterrier revealed that he brokered the "peace treaty" that led to Johnson's return in the latest entry to the franchise:
"The peace treaty … I kind of did. We all did. Ultimately, the movie did. I didn’t know Dwayne, personally, but we reached out to Dwayne and Dwayne’s team. We sort of looked at each other from across the room and winked a few months back, saying, 'We should work together.'"
Leterrier also confirmed that Johnson watched Fast X first before joining the movie, noting that he "really loved it:"
"And then I had this idea and I presented it to the producers and the studio. And then we reached out to Dwayne and his team and said, 'Just come and watch the movie. You have to love the movie first.' So he came to see the movie and really loved it, and then we started talking."
The Fast 10 filmmaker reflected on bringing back Johnson and Gal Gadot in the film, pointing out that the characters "make this franchise what it is:"
"It was very smooth, and frankly, as a fan, I could not conceive continuing the franchise without either Dwayne or Gal Gadot. This franchise was built by actors and characters. The set pieces are wonderful. They keep you entertained and keep you shoving popcorn in your mouth, but the characters make this franchise what it is."
Predicting Dwayne Johnson’s Role in Fast 11 & Beyond
Dwayne Johnson's return as Hobbs in Fast X means that he will also have a significant role in Fast and Furious 11 alongside Gal Gadot's Gisele Yashar.
Given that it is not yet confirmed that Hobbs & Shaw 2 is in development, Fast X's post-credits scene is expected to continue Luke Hobbs' journey in Fast 11.
Dante's threat against his Hobbs' life could prompt him to seek out Dom's crew, but how he will do that remains to be seen. Considering that he might still have a connection with Deckard Shaw, it's possible that he will seek him out first to try to find out the location of Dom and his team.
Assuming that Dom survived Dante's insane revenge plot at the end of Fast X, the next installment could feature a highly-anticipated reunion between Dom and Hobbs. In fact, this reunion could be what the team needs to finally defeat Dante and his forces.
Fast X is now playing in theaters worldwide.
