If there’s one thing the Fast Saga knows how to do, it’s bring characters back from the dead. Both Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) and Han Lue (Sun Kang) have died and come back over the years, and now another franchise character has been revived in Fast X. Warning: Spoilers Ahead! The new movie features the return of Gisele (Gal Gadot) who died back in Fast & Furious 6. The film’s post-credit scene also revealed the return of Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). While Hobbs was last seen alive, his return is still shocking because The Rock previously said he would never return to the role. Yesterday, franchise star Vin Diesel attended the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project Block Party along with some other actors from the Fast Saga, and they all addressed the return of Gadot and Johnson.
“The conversations are what makes the best movie? What feels right for a franchise? How do you make as many people happy in this world? And both of them clearly make people happy,” Diesel told The Hollywood Reporter. “Underscore that with this running theme of unity that prevails in the Fast and Furious saga, and it’s a match made in heaven.”
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Rodriguez added, “I was laughing my butt off. I was like, ‘Ha, ha, you try getting away with something like that in your franchise!’ It’s crazy what we get away with.” She continued, “The whole Gal storyline had been in the works for a while, a couple of movies in, and there’s even footage shot already so it didn’t surprise me as much as Dwayne coming back. That was like really cool.”
Jordana Brewster (Mia Toretto) added, “First, I heard about Gal, and then I heard Dwayne, and it was just sort of mindblowing that they were coming back.” Fast X‘s Alan Ritchson (Agent Rimes) also chimed in, saying, “I, like everybody as a fan of the franchise, was blown away, I did not see that coming. I wasn’t given warning before I saw it, it just happened, so my experience was just like everybody else’s where I was like, ‘What did I just see?’”
Why Did The Rock Return For Fast X?
Back in 2021, The Rock slammed Diesel’s request for him to return, calling it “an example of his manipulation” and claimed he would not be returning to play Hobbs again. This week, Fast X director Louis Leterrier spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and explained how he managed to get Johnson to change his mind.
“The peace treaty,” Leterrier repeated with a laugh. “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.” 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. 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.”
Fast X is now playing in theaters.
