If the fates align, then it feels like a guarantee that Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham will be returning for the tenth and eleventh installments in the Fast & Furious franchise, at least in some capacity. The chrome-domed duo sat out the upcoming F9 in favor of spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, which caused some issues with other core members of the family, but it appears as though all fences have been mended.
It’s all a question of when Fast 10 decides to head in front of cameras, with Statham set to start shooting creature feature sequel The Meg 2 in January, while Johnson is always one of the busiest stars of the business. Given that the next three entries will combine to form a trilogy that finally draws The Fast Saga to a close, though, you can bet that Universal and Vin Diesel will be pulling out all of the stops to ensure it delivers for the fans.
Statham already admitted that he was more than happy to return to the fold as Deckard Shaw, and in a new interview he revealed one of the major reasons is his desire to finally work with director Justin Lin after their Fast & Furious paths barely crossed.
“Absolutely. I love all of what the franchise has done for me and I appreciate the opportunity to work with all those people. You know, I’ve made some great friends. You know, Justin Lin is going to direct that movie. I’ve wanted to work with Justin ever since we met back on Fast 6, he shot that little tag that I did. So, yeah, I’d love to join the crew. The Merry Men and Ladies.”
In the fifteen years since first helming Tokyo Drift, Lin has only directed two movies that weren’t part of the blockbuster series, so it’s a little ironic that he shot Statham’s introduction for part six’s credits stinger but never actually got to work with him in a more meaningful fashion after that. Fast & Furious is all about giving audiences what they want, though, so the long-awaited reunion is sure to happen. Or at least, we certainly hope it will.