John Cena Talks Rumored Feud Between Dwayne Johnson And Vin Diesel
John Cena talks about what it is like working with two “alpha-driven people” in the Fast & Furious franchise. Of course, the WWE star is talking about his fellow wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and actor Vin “Family” Diesel. All three actors have appeared in the Fast movies, with Diesel being in most of the films.
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
While appearing on this week’s Armchair Expert podcast with Dax Shepard, Cena, 46, was pressed by the host to talk about the rumored “rough pairing.” As we previously reported, Cena played Jakob in 2021’s F9: The Fast Saga, then in 2023’s Fast X. The Peacemaker star’s addition to the long-standing franchise came at a time when Johnson and Diesel were rumored to be feuding. “There’s certainly rumors about that. I can’t deny that,” Cena admitted, laughing. “You have two very alpha-driven people. You get two. There can only be one.”
Diesel has been in the Fast films since 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, playing the family-focused Dominic Toretto. Johnson joined the franchise in 2011’s Fast Five as Luke Hobbs — a highly skilled bounty hunter for the DSS and the lead federal agent whose job is to capture Toretto and his family. He went on to appear in 2013’s Fast & Furious 6, 2015’s Furious 7, 2017’s The Fate of the Furious, 2019’s Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, and 2023’s Fast X.
In the Fast X post-credits scene, Jason Momoa’s sociopathic villain Dante Reyes calls Johnson’s Hobbs to tell him he’s coming for him next. This pretty much confirms Johnson will return for the untitled and supposedly final Fast & Furious film, slated for release on April 4, 2025. The actor is already set to star in an upcoming Hobbs standalone movie before the final film. Sharing the announcement of the new film on Instagram last year, Johnson also confirmed he and Diesel “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.”
As for Cena’s take on entering the franchise, he said on Monday’s (April 8) episode that he went into the films with respect for the films’ legacy. “I’m being invited into someone’s home, into someone’s family,” Cena says of the beloved franchise. “This is one IP that’s had nine installments and it’s an action movie. That’s rarified air.”
Cena’s latest role was in the hilarious 2024 comedy Ricky Stanicky starring alongside Zac Efron, comedian Andrew Santino, and Jermaine Fowler. In the film, Cena plays a cringey Atlantic City act that performs sexual innuendo covers of classic songs. He is hired to play the role of a made-up childhood friend who is the reason for all their excuses.
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