Fast X director on how they pulled off that surprise cameo

MAJOR SPOILERS for Fast X. Consider yourself warned. The latest Fast & Furious movie is now in theaters, and fans are ready for another high-octane adventure filled to the brim with crazy stunts and outrageous action. As Fast X is the first part of a two-part finale (or maybe three), you can expect some cliffhanger endings and even a cameo or two.

Unfortunately, one of the biggest moments of Fast X was revealed prematurely. You know what I’m talking about, the return of Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs. The actor made a cameo in the mid-credits scene of Fast X, which found Dante (Jason Momoa) reaching out to Hobbs to ensure that he knew he was his next target. The return surprised many, considering the famous feud between Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel. While speaking with THR, Fast X director Louis Leterrier explained who brokered the peace treaty between the pair.

“The peace treaty … I kind of did. We all did. Ultimately, the movie did,” Louis Leterrier said. “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.’ 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.’” Leterrier said that Johnson came out to see the movie and really loved it, which got everyone talking again. “It was very smooth, and frankly, as a fan, I could not conceive continuing the franchise without either Dwayne or Gal Gadot,” Leterrier said. “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.“

Dwayne Johnson proved to be a valuable addition to the franchise after his first appearance in Fast Five, but his feud with Vin Diesel led him to exit the franchise after The Fate of the Furious. Vin Diesel publically asked him to return in an Instagram post which Johnson didn’t take well. “I told [Diesel] directly that I would not be returning to the franchise,” Johnson said. “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. 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.” With his cameo in Fast X, Dwayne Johnson has officially returned, but seeing how big of a part he’ll play in the grand finale will be interesting. Will he actually share a scene with Vin Diesel?

Fast X is now playing in theaters, so be sure to check out a review from our own Chris Bumbray and let us know what you thought of the film.