Vin Diesel has publicly celebrated Dwayne Johnson’s performance in the upcoming drama The Smashing Machine, calling their alliance “one of the most dynamic pairings in cinema” in a new Instagram message that underscores the end of their long-running feud and points toward a renewed partnership in the Fast & Furious franchise.
In the post, Diesel shares a throwback photo from the set of Furious 7 and writes, “One of the greatest gifts in life isn’t something you can buy, it’s the relationships forged along the way.” He praises Johnson for stepping into the role of Luke Hobbs “with full commitment,” saying the character left an “indelible mark” on the studio’s gallery of heroes. Diesel adds that few people understand the pressure Johnson carries as a global star.
Diesel also reflects on the subject of The Smashing Machine, mixed martial arts legend Mark Kerr, recalling that Kerr was one of the first friends he made after moving from New York to California and helped him train for the 2002 action film xXx. The new movie follows Kerr’s rise through no-holds-barred fighting alongside his struggles with addiction, emotional strain and fame, with Johnson’s performance already drawing strong early praise.
The warm tribute marks a sharp contrast with the period when tensions between the two actors were playing out in public. In 2016, Johnson posted a now-famous message criticizing unnamed male co-stars as “candy asses,” a remark widely read as a reference to Diesel and later acknowledged as a sign of serious friction on the Fast & Furious 8 set. Diesel subsequently described the conflict as a byproduct of “tough love” during production.
Their relationship began to shift again when Johnson returned as Hobbs in a surprise mid-credits appearance in 2023’s Fast X, after previously saying he did not plan to come back to the main saga. He later wrote that “last summer Vin and I put all the past behind us,” promising to lead “with brotherhood and resolve” while protecting the franchise and its fans.
A brief on-air greeting from Diesel to Johnson at the 2025 Golden Globes drew attention to that thaw, but the new Instagram post goes further by framing their shared history as “unforgettable” and celebrating Johnson’s latest work. The two are now expected to reunite on screen in the planned eleventh Fast & Furious film, as Johnson continues to build awards buzz for his transformation into Kerr.
