The Fast & Furious franchise has been around for decades now, and it’s success can partially be attributed to the excellent, on-screen chemistry of the cast. However, things haven’t always been a cakewalk behind the scenes. The franchise has seen a couple of feuds among the stars, with one being between Tyrese Gibson and The Rock. The situation got pretty heated after a while, but it looks like things have finally subsided. Now, on the heels of the release of F9, Gibson has opened up about the funny way he and Dwayne Johnson are “reconnecting.”
For those who need to be brought up to speed, the feud between Dwayne Johnson and Tyrese Gibson began in earnest when Universal Pictures gave the greenlight to Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, which was headlined by The Rock and fellow franchise alum Jason Statham. While this was exciting for fans, Gibson took issue with the fact that Johnson was cutting off from the main film series to do his own franchise and that the spinoff would delay production on the ninth installment of the parent series. From here, the two engaged in a back-and-forth, until Gibson indicated last year that he and Johnson had buried the hatchet.
Tyrese Gibson’s recent comments on The Ellen DeGeneres Show would seem to indicate that he and Dwayne Johnson are so tight that they’re currently playing a fun game. And based on the competitive nature of the two stars, this seems to be pretty on brand for them:
We’ve been on the phone every other day. We've reconnected in a real way. I think we're both better men on the other side of all that stuff that went down. And to be honest, [I] did not know when or how the phone call was going to happen, but it did happen. And we're about 20 phone calls in, and we're in competition right now on who can leave the longest voice note.
This sounds like one of the most intense games of telephone tag I’ve ever heard. Still, it’s definitely a more positive way to let out your feelings than calling out someone on social media. During his interview, Tyrese Gibson also showed off an impression of The Rock that’s pretty spot-on. You can check it out in the video down below:
Although it can be difficult to do, mending fences is almost always a good thing. This is especially beneficial in the realm of Hollywood, where feuds can spill out into the public at large and potentially affect business transactions.
Believe it or not, this isn’t the only Fast and Furious feud The Rock has been involved in, as he and franchise guru Vin Diesel have also had a bit of a beef. But like the squabble with Tyrese Gibson, this one seems to have calmed down as well.
The stars of the Fast & Furious franchise are going to need to stick together, especially as they prepare to close out the main franchise. Let’s hope that last ride is a smooth one that ends with the cast being as close a family as their characters are.
