John Cena reveals the cast of the Fast & Furious franchise were initially apprehensive about the WWE star joining the large roster. The star made his debut in the Vin Diesel-led series with F9 as Jakob Toretto, estranged brother to Diesel’s Dominic Toretto who teams up with Charlize Theron’s Cipher for a new world-shattering plot. The film also marked the returns of Justin Lin and Sung Kang to the franchise for the first time since Fast & Furious 6, in which the latter was presumed to have been killed in a post-credits scene.

Since its launch in 2001, the Fast & Furious franchise has been Universal’s largest original property and one of their biggest overall, having a combined gross of over $6 billion. Encompassing nine mainline titles and one spin-off, the former is set to conclude with two more films that Lin will once again helm with main screenwriter Chris Morgan set to return. However, it won’t be the end for the franchise as a sequel is in development for Hobbs & Shaw with a female-fronted spin-off also currently in the works.

SCREENRANT VIDEO OF THE DAY

As his franchise debut arrived on digital platforms, Cena caught up with People to discuss joining the Fast & Furious series with F9. The star revealed that the group were initially hesitant to welcome him to the fold for the film, comparing it to his time in the WWE and how the sport welcomes newcomers, and revealing he had to work to earn his place in Vin Diesel’s “family.” See what Cena said below:

“They were kind of apprehensive to me being there, just like we are in WWE like, ‘Who is the new kid?’ But then when the new kid does something good or like when you have good open conversations, it’s like, ‘Yeah, you’re alright.’ Or as Vin calls it, ‘the family.’ That’s super rare in film. Because usually you do the project, you move on. It’s like a wonderful summer camp. You make great friends and some you stay in touch with them, and some you don’t, but you do the thing and then you move on. This family gets together like every two years to do Fast [films]. They’re celebrating its 20th anniversary. This is a global franchise that has entertained fans for two decades. I’ve been a WWE performer for, next year will be my 20th anniversary. So to see Vin and Jordana [Brewster], Michelle [Rodriguez] and the crew, Tyrese [Gibson], and Luda [Ludacris], they’ve been in these characters for 20 years. It felt as homey as a WWE locker room. I’ve never felt that anywhere.”

While the release of F9 sparked a new trend of memes involving Diesel’s Dom and his love of family, it makes sense that after 20 years of building the group they might be hesitant about someone new coming to the fold, especially when they may have a future in the franchise. Though it may not come as a surprise to some that Cena would eventually be accepted by the Fast cast, it should please some to get that assurance that, despite Jakob’s villainous streak, he is just as close to the star-producer as those who have been there since the start. Even if the mainline series is coming to a close in the near future, the bonds the cast and crew have made on set are sure to last for a long time.

Given Cena’s character is allowed to escape by Dom in F9, the actor’s acceptance into the family should also establish a potential return for Jakob in the Fast & Furious franchise. Whether that be in one of the two final installments or appearances in spin-offs or landing one of his own, there is certainly plenty of room to explore for Jakob Toretto. In the meantime, audiences can check out Cena’s franchise debut as F9 is now available on digital platforms.

See also  Age of Darkness: Final Stand - The Best Heroes to Choose

Source: People

Doctor Strange 2 Trailer Shows Scarlet Witch Attacking Illuminati Base

About The Author


Grant Hermanns
(1560 Articles Published)

Grant Hermanns is a News Writer, Interviewer and Hiring Manager for Screen Rant, having joined the team in early 2021. Way back in 2015 while still in his college days, Grant got his start in the entertainment journalism industry with creator-friendly site Moviepilot until it shuttered nearly three years later. From there he joined the staff at ComingSoon.net and was its Associate Editor prior to coming over to Screen Rant.

To say he’s a lover of film and television would be an understatement and when he’s not mass consuming either you can find him exploring the world of Dungeons & Dragons with friends or slowly making his way through his gaming backlog.

More From Grant Hermanns