Dwayne Johnson has finally responded to Vin Diesel‘s proposal for a final showdown in the “Fast & Furious” franchise.
The retired WWE superstar tackled his rocky relationship with his former co-star during a recent interview with CNN published on Wednesday, December 29.
Regarding his return to the franchise, the father-of-three expressed his disappointment in Diesel for pulling what the entertainer described as a “manipulative” stunt.
Dwayne Johnson Will Not Be Returning For “F10”
Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to say your final goodbye as The Rock’s beloved character Luke Hobbs won’t be making a splashy return to the “Fast & Furious” franchise.
The “Jungle Cruise” star was left with a bitter taste in his mouth after Diesel penned an open letter to the 49-year-old on Instagram, in which the “Riddick” actor tried to instigate Johnson’s return.
The 8-time WWE champion explained that his former co-star was aware of his disinterest in rejoining the franchise, yet the “Bloodshot” actor disregarded his feelings by making the public plea. The actor said:
“I was very surprised by Vin’s recent post. This past June, when Vin and I actually connected not over social media, I told him directly — and privately — that I would not be returning to the franchise.”
To solidify his decision never to return, the “Face Off” singer had a similar discussion with his partners at Universal Studios, all of whom the actor stated understood his choice to leave.
The clapbacks didn’t stop there as Johnson called out the “XXX” star for using “manipulative” tactics. The movie producer didn’t sugarcoat his words as he slammed his former co-star for dragging family into the matter when he said:
“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. We had spoken months ago about this and came to a clear understanding.”
Johnson then added, “My goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible “Fast & Furious” franchise with gratitude and grace.”
The founder of the Seven Bucks Productions was displeased that the public turn of events had “muddied the waters.” The “Rampage” star believed his former co-stars would make “F10” a successful project regardless of their rocky relationship.
Vin Diesel’s “Manipulative” Letter To The Rock
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Last month, The Blast reported that Diesel had publicly reached out to Johnson on Instagram with a lengthy letter, imploring the actor to return for the final chapter of the “Fast & Furious” franchise.
In the candid post, the 54-year-old entertainer described his former colleague as his “little brother,” who needed to “rise to the occasion” and fulfill his destiny as Hobbs.
To soften the Rock’s heart, the “Pacifier” star stated that his daughters referred to the 2000 Royal Rumble winner as “uncle Dwayne” and requested the retired athlete to help Walker, his late friend.
Diesel revealed that it was Pablo’s dream to end the “Fast & Furious” franchise with a spectacular 10th installment, and this dream couldn’t be made into a reality without Johnson’s help.
The former co-stars went their separate ways after a public fallout in 2016 reportedly caused by Diesel’s poor attitude towards Johnson during their time on the franchise.
