Vin Dieselis the great leader of theFast and Furioussaga, especially since the tragic death of Paul Walker. But the actor has much more control over the franchise than fans imagine, being able to prohibit certain actors from joining it. Even if they are major stars. Since its inception in 2001,Fast and Furioushas added many big names to its cast. From acclaimed actors like Charlize Theron or Kurt Russell, to wrestling superstars-turned-actors like John Cena or Dwayne Johnson, and even popular singers like Ludacris and DC and Marvel heroes like Jason Momoa and Brie Larson, there are no limits when it comes to participating in one of the most successful franchises of all time. Or actually there is, and that limit is decided by Vin Diesel.
The actor has been part of the saga from the very beginning, much like Michelle Rodriguez and Jordana Brewster, but there is no doubt that he and his character Dominic Toretto are the leaders both in front of and behind the camera. Meaning he has great decision-making power when it comes to saying who can and who cannot join the family. And it seems that action movie iconJean-Claude Van Dammeis the latter.
In an interview withThe Telegraph, the martial arts and action film legend revealed that he was very close to joining the cast ofFast and Furious, but Diesel denied him the opportunity:
“They want me in Fast and Furious. But Vin Diesel said, ‘No, I don’t want him.”
It would have been interesting to see an actor like Van Damme in the saga, which little by little has left the world of underground racing behind to become almost 100% an action franchise, so the star ofBloodsportwould surely have been a great addition to the roster.
Jean-Claude Van Damme & Steven Seagal Were Offered $20 Million Each for Las Vegas Fight
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Fast & Furious Is Not the Only Franchise That Lost Jean-Claude Van Damme
Scott Free Productions / Amazon Studios
Fast and Furiousisn’t the first franchise to miss the opportunity to include Van Damme. Many years earlier, when the actor was just at the beginninghis extremely successful career, he briefly participated in the production of the firstPredatorfilm, which would later become one of the most popular science fiction sagas of all time.
Unfortunately, Van Damme was unable to complete his performance. Originally, the actor was going to play the threatening and dangerous alien, but the suit was not comfortable at all, did not allow him to move freely, and made it difficult for him to breathe, according to the actor himself (viaThe Hollywood Reporter):
“My head was in the neck. My hands were in the forearms, and there were cables [attached to my fingers to move the creature’s head and jaws]. My feet were in his calves, so I was on [stilts]. It was a disgusting outfit. When Joel asked me to jump, I knew it was going to be a bad one. I said, ‘This is impossible, Joel. I think we’re going to have a problem.'”
Ultimately, the actor did not continue to be a part of the project, and the original design of the creature was changed to the one that appears in the movie.
But fear not Van Damme fans, as the action movie starwill soon return to theaterswith the neo-noir thrillerDarkness of Man.
