Even though the Fast and the Furious franchise's core theme is family, that doesn't mean everyone in that collective unit will always get along, both within that world and behind the camera. The latest drama from this franchise has revolved around Tyrese Gibson being angry with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for branching off to do Hobbs and Shaw, the Fast and the Furious spinoff he'll co-lead with Jason Statham, especially since the spinoff has led to Fast and Furious 9 being delayed a year. Now Gibson is saying that he'll step away from Fast and Furious 9 unless Johnson is taken out of the movie:
Hello world... hello loyal fans and loved ones from OUR fast universe... I'm sorry to announce that if Dwayne is in Fast 9 there will no more Roman Pierce - You mess with family and my daughters survival I mess with yours... close your eyes dude, you're a 'clown.'
Taking to his Instagram page, Tyrese Gibson announced to the "loyal fans and loved ones" of the Fast and the Furious universe that he will not appear in Fast and Furious 9 unless Johnson is excluded from the blockbuster, saying that because Johnson "messed" with family and his daughter's survival, he would mess with Johnson's. This post followed up a previous post where Gibson talked about his financial struggles and not being able to "fight" for his daughter. It was in this previous post that Gibson also mentioned that his anger stems from Johnson having privately pitched an idea to expand the Fast and the Furious franchise and saying yes to it without taking into consideration how this would impact everything Gibson is going through.
Although Tyrese Gibson's Roman Pearce debuted in 2003's 2 Fast 2 Furious, he didn't become a regular player in this franchise until 2011's Fast Five, the same movie where Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs was introduced. While both characters have been integral characters in the franchise since, Hobbs has become a fast favorite (pun slightly intended), and his dynamic with Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw in The Fate of the Furious was widely well received. Hence why he'll now those two will now be going off on their own adventure.
In recent months, Gibson's main problem with this differing course is due to the fact that the spinoff pushes back the main series, though now we know that his personal problems factor in. It remains to be seen if Gibson will follow through on this ultimatum, though it's hard to imagine the main Fast and the Furious series wrapping up without either of these characters participating. This also isn't the first time one of the Fast and the Furious stars has threatened to quit, as Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Letty Ortiz, said earlier this year that she might exit if the franchise didn't "show some love to the women of the franchise."
As it stands now, the Fast and Furious spinoff, Hobbs and Shaw, will race into theaters on July 26, 2019, with Fast and Furious 9 arriving on April 10, 2020. For movies that are arriving sooner, look through our 2017 premiere guide and 2018 premiere guide.
