Fans of the Fast and Furious franchise will be thrilled to hear that Dwayne Johnson has returned to the series for a surprise cameo in Fast X, which hits theaters next Friday, The Wrap reports first. The news comes as a shock, given that Johnson had previously stated that he would not be returning to the franchise.

In November 2021, franchise star and producer Vin Diesel took to Instagram to essentially beg Johnson to return to the mainline franchise. However, Johnson had some harsh words for Diesel, calling him out for his manipulation tactics. Johnson stated that he would always be supportive of the cast and root for the franchise's success, but that there was no chance he would return.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Vin Diesel (@vindiesel)

The bad blood between the two has been a point of contention for years, with Dwayne Johnson calling out some of his male co-stars on the franchise for not acting like “true professionals.” However, it seems that all parties involved understand that Johnson's return to the franchise is a mutually beneficial scenario.

While the Fast and Furious franchise began as an ensemble series anchored by Diesel and the late Paul Walker, its commercial success throughout the 2010s was tied to the added value that Johnson's hard-charging, butt-kicking super cop Luke Hobbs brought to the series. The franchise is simply more popular with Johnson as part of its ensemble than without.

Johnson's appearance in the post-credits sequence of Fast X is sure to be a treat for fans of the franchise, and it will be interesting to see what role he plays in the future of the series. Despite his initial reluctance to return, it seems that Johnson is willing to put the past behind him and continue to support the Fast and Furious franchise.