- Vin Diesel has significant control over who can join the Fast and Furious franchise.
- Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme was reportedly denied an opportunity to join the cast by Diesel.
- Vin Diesel and his character Dominic Toretto are considered leaders of the franchise both on and off screen.
Vin Diesel has a substantial amount of control over the Fast and Furious saga, particularly since the tragic passing of Paul Walker. Diesel has the power to decide who joins the cast of the franchise, even when it involves major stars. Since the first Fast and Furious film in 2001, many big names have been added to the cast, from renowned actors like Charlize Theron and Kurt Russell to wrestlers-turned-actors such as John Cena and Dwayne Johnson.
As part of the Fast and Furious franchise since the start, Diesel has significant decision-making power over who joins the cast, and it seems that action movie icon Jean-Claude Van Damme is on the “not allowed” list. In an interview with The Telegraph, Van Damme revealed that he was close to joining Fast and Furious, but was denied the opportunity by Diesel, who said, “No, I don’t want him.”
Seeing an actor like Van Damme in the saga would have been intriguing, as the franchise has evolved from a focus on underground racing to an action series with a wide range of characters. This is not the first time Van Damme has missed out on being part of a major franchise. At the start of his career, he participated in the production of the first Predator film, but ended up leaving the project due to discomfort with the alien costume. However, fans can look forward to seeing Van Damme in the upcoming neo-noir thriller Darkness of Man.