The Fast and Furious 9 stars couldn’t be more excited to have the gang all back together. That much is clear from the many cast photos that have surfaced over the past few weeks, and everyone seems impossibly happy. It’s heartwarming in a sense, but one cannot also ignore the fact they’re all really happy without The Rock. Not that this reflects upon The Rock in any shape or form! Rather, a The Rock-less production means that Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson aren’t hurling testosterone boomerangs at each other. The distinction matters.
Meanwhile, the photo deluge continues, and now we’re finally seeing a cast member who’s stayed hidden so far. John Cena, who joined this sequel to possibly replace The Rock, recently got a haircut that propels him to action movie status, and now his debut in the franchise is official, courtesy of this Instagram image from Nathalie “Dracarys” Emmanuel:
Yes, that’s cake. The photo marks Michelle Rodriguez’s birthday, all supported by Tyrese, Jordana Brewster, Emmanuel, Vin Diesel, Justin Lin, Anna Sawai, and Ludacris. Of course, no real details have surfaced about Cena’s character, nor do we really know if he’s truly joining James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, but this photo at least confirms his involvement in the former movie and the fact that everyone’s at least eyeing a cheat meal without The Rock, who’s gearing up for the release of Fast and Furious spin-off Hobbs and Shaw. Maybe one day, he and Diesel will feud onscreen again, and we can witness the drama. For now, we’ve got John Cena and Michelle Rodriguez with cake.
Fast and Furious 9 zooms into theaters on May 22, 2020.
