It simply wouldn’t do to have Dom Toretto bested at fisticuffs.
And so Fast & Furious star Vin Diesel, who plays the former street racer turned – hang on, what is his job again? – hoped to make sure that such a thing never happened.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Diesel became concerned that British action star Jason Statham was landing a few too many punches during one particular fight scene.
So he suggested that a numerical system be implemented, so that punches, body slams, roundhouse kicks and head butts all had separate values and could be properly counted up to make sure Diesel always came out on top.
However, the WSJ says that after he came to producers with the idea, it was quickly dismissed as being too complicated.
Both Diesel and Statham declined to comment on the claims when contacted by the paper, but it’s said that Diesel even employed his sister Samantha Vincent to count punches on set.
It’s claimed that she piped up during the filming of one scene: “He’s falling down right here. Is he going to get his licks back in?”
It’s long been noted that none of the good guys in the Fast & Furious franchise ever lose a fight, but now it seems that it might even be contractual.
When the WSJ asked F&F producer Michael Fottrell whether vanity ever comes in to play when it comes to the franchises stars losing a fight, he replied: “No Comment.”
He then added: “Of course it does!”
The report goes on to claim that Statham signed a document which details how badly he could be beaten up, while co-star Dwayne Johnson also has a team of producers and editors who ensure he’s never bested.
In a striking testament to oestrogen over testosterone, the article goes on to mention that ‘there are fewer concerns about scorekeeping in the women’s fights’.
Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw is out now, while Fast & Furious 9 is currently filming in the UK.
