Vin Diesel: My brother Pablo had sent John Cena to play Jakob

Vin Diesel explains why he thanked his brother Pablo (Paul Walker) when the Fast9 team roped in John Cena

With 'F9: The Fast Saga' releasing in India in a matter of weeks, fans are thrilled to witness the high-octane drama unfold again in the cinemas. In the movie, Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto and Michelle Rodriguez's Letty are content with a quiet family life off the grid with young Brian. But as we have it, Dom's past comes back, resurfacing old wounds in a world filled with danger and action. 

Fans are in for a treat in the upcoming film with the arrival of Don's brother Jakob, played by none other than John Cena. On being asked why was Cena chosen for the role of Dom's brother, Vin Diesel responds, “I'm multicultural, so you could have picked anyone to be my brother. As we were developing the story, it was great fun to be able to revisit a past that pre-dates the first film. Once we started getting into casting, that's when the anxiety set in, that's when it was, like, ‘it could go any of a million different directions!' There was actual anxiety. There are so many great, talented actors, but who would be right to play that type of archetype, that type of character that has to do so much in this film, because it's a very intense role, all the while representing what our collective idea of a Toretto to be?”

He also added how at one point he thought Pablo (Paul Walker) had sent Cena to play Jakob. “I had already been a fan of who he is and his work ethic and maybe a week earlier I was watching Ferdinand with my kids… We love John Cena! He walks into my Dom shrine and I was kind of in this Dom state of mind, so it wasn't too hee-hee ha-ha. He was walking into a sacred place. And we talked about why this franchise is so sacred and what goes into it. And how, if you come into this franchise, you have to be willing to put everything on the line. That day, I posted on Instagram, without talking to anyone, a video of him and me and I said, “thank you Pablo.” Because at that moment, I thought, my brother Pablo [Paul Walker] had sent him to play Jakob.”

F9 is directed by Justin Lin, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Daniel Casey. It is the sequel to The Fate of the Furious (2017), the ninth main instalment, and the tenth full-length feature to release overall in the Fast & Furious franchise. Besides Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Chris Bridges (aka Ludacris), Nathalie Emmanuel, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron will reprise their roles. As far as the fresh faces go, John Cena joins Cardi B and Ozuna to add up to the star-studded line-up. Get ready to hop on to this fast-paced adventurous ride with the F9 folks as the movie releases in English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada.

F9 to hit the theatres in August.

Also read: John Cena on future of his character in 'F9': Would love to see more Jakob

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