The Fast & Furious movie franchise has been a global box office juggernaut, with the 10th installment, Fast X, recently hitting theaters. However, the success of the high-octane action series has been accompanied by behind-the-scenes drama between its two biggest stars – Vin Diesel and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
The feud between the actors, who play Dominic Toretto and Luke Hobbs respectively, has been an open secret for years. It first went public in 2016 when Johnson referred to some of his Fast & Furious co-stars as “candy asses” in a now-deleted social media post, widely believed to be a jab at Diesel.
In a recent interview on the Armchair Expert podcast, franchise newcomer John Cena offered his perspective on the longstanding tension between Diesel and Johnson. Cena, who portrays the character Jakob in the latest Fast film, acknowledged that there were certainly “rumors” of conflict between the two leading men.
“You have two very alpha, driven people. You get two, there can only be one,” Cena remarked, suggesting the competitive nature of Diesel and Johnson’s personalities likely contributed to the feud.
Drawing from his own experience in the wrestling world, Cena said he understood the dynamic of being “dropped into a locker room where [there are] generational vets.” He explained, “What’d your dad do? ‘Wrestle.’ What’d your granddad do? ‘Wrestle.’ I’ve been in that environment; know the room and just kind of adapt to what’s going on.”
Despite the apparent tension, Cena emphasized that he approached his role in the Fast franchise with gratitude and humility. “I’m being invited into someone’s home, into someone’s family. And regardless of how they look physically in comparison to another human being, this is one IP that has had nine installments and it’s an action movie — that’s rarefied air. At the very least, there has to be respect for that,” he said.
Cena’s diplomatic comments come as the Diesel-Johnson feud appears to have thawed in recent years. While the two actors did not share any scenes in Fast X, Johnson did make a cameo appearance in the film’s post-credits scene. It has also been announced that Johnson will star in a Hobbs-focused spinoff before the planned release of the 11th and final Fast & Furious movie.
However, the potential for renewed conflict remains, as the two alpha personalities are likely to cross paths again in the franchise finale. As Cena noted, “I’m not trying to get the sandbox. That’s not my thing. I’m grateful for what you’ve given me, I just want to be be the best firetruck I can.” Whether Diesel and Johnson can put aside their differences for one last ride remains to be seen.