‘Fast X’ Director Left Action Sequel Because of Vin Diesel & a Game-Changing Twist, New Book Reveals

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In April 2022, the Fast & Furious series faced a setback when its director unexpectedly left the next movie. Many rumors circulated about the reason for his departure, but nothing was ever officially confirmed. Now, a new book has revealed the real reason he left the hugely successful franchise: disagreements with a specific actor and a planned plot twist.

Barry Hertz’s new book, “Welcome to the Family,” tells the story of the Fast & Furious franchise, including details about the difficult making of Fast X. It shares what originally was planned for the sequel – like the villain Dante, played by Jason Momoa, gathering a team of Dom’s old enemies. However, the most surprising revelation (reported by IndieWire) is the reason why director Justin Lin unexpectedly left the project, leaving its future uncertain.

Sources close to the film’s production say Justin Lin grew frustrated with issues involving the studio, Vin Diesel, and Diesel’s sister and producer, Samantha Vincent. The conflict escalated when Diesel disagreed with Lin’s planned ending, which would have revealed that Dante (Jason Momoa) was actually the father of Vin Diesel‘s character’s son, Little Brian.

Some people involved with the movie believed the dramatic shift near the end was a fitting, though intense, way for Dom to explore the importance of family – the idea he valued most. This meant he’d risk everything for a child who wasn’t his own, but the son of his greatest enemy. However, Vin Diesel and others disagreed with this approach.

Justin Lin Wanted to Make ‘Fast X’ “A Little Too Marvel”


Universal Pictures

The storyline would have likely upset many fans, but it would have dramatically tested Dom’s well-known devotion to family. It seems Vin Diesel disagreed with the idea of Dom raising the child of one of his enemies, and his repeated objections ultimately frustrated director Justin Lin.

On top of everything else, Universal Pictures was also pressuring Lin about how the movie would end. Lin envisioned a huge, visually-packed finale where the character Dante would use a massive excavator-like machine to cause destruction. This would be expensive – the film’s production budget was already over $300 million and still increasing. As experienced second-unit director and cinematographer Alexander Witt explained…

Honestly, the biggest issue with the original ending was just how…weird it got. There was this machine that literally ate things, and the villain, after being defeated, somehow ended up inside it and started devouring cars! It felt completely out of place, like a scene ripped straight from a ‘Transformers’ movie. It was leaning way too heavily into that big, Marvel-style spectacle, and the problem was, it would’ve required a ton of CGI. Ironically, we ended up with a CGI-heavy finale anyway! Once Dom jumps that dam in the final cut, pretty much everything from that point on is computer-generated.

Despite a worldwide box office of about $704 million and mixed reviews, Fast X did finally reach theaters. However, production on the planned finale, Fast & Furious 11, has now been put on hold because of ongoing problems behind the scenes.

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2025-11-26 19:18