Fast X helmer Louis Leterrier reveals how he tried to hide Dwayne Johnson’s feature to add nuance to his surprise post-credits cameo in the film.

Fast X director Louis Leterrier sheds light on how he set up the much-talked-about surprise cameo of Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs in the post-credits scene of the action-packed film, trying to hide his familiar frame before the reveal.

In an interview with Total Film, Leterrier broke down the logistics of the scene and how he tried to tease the audience before Hobbs’ appearance in the latest Fast & Furious sequel’s final sequence, where he interacts with Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa). According to the French filmmaker, he came up with some distracting tactics to ensure the cameo wasn’t given away instantly.

“It’s a scene in its own context as we just go from something really dark,” he said. “The moment you film Dwayne Johnson, in any shape or form, you recognize it’s Dwayne Johnson, so I was like, ‘How can I change the tone?’ Hide it in the shadows, put a mask on, and use lights and flares so you’re distracted by the filmmaking. So you’re not focusing on who the camera is filming and what the camera is pointed at. That was the idea.”

The post-credits cameo marked the first time Johnson appeared in a Fast & Furious title since the 2019 spinoff film, Hobbs & Shaw, following a long-time standoff with franchise lead Vin Diesel. Leterrier says the “dark” ending to Fast X involving Hobbs made sense given the scene was set to outline Dante’s darkest intentions ahead of Fast X: Part 2. That said, Leterrier was happy with the scene and expressed how glad he is to have Johnson back in the film series. “Our movie finishes in a pretty dark place. I couldn’t come back up and do a comedy scene, you know, it’s the continuation of what this dark place is,” he said. “It’s the true reveal of Dante’s master plan and what he aims to do. I mean, what an honor to have Dwayne Johnson come back to the main franchise, that day was absolutely incredible.”

Following Fast X‘s release, Johnson officially announced his return to the Fast & Furious franchise on social media after previously claiming he was done with the franchise while opting out of 2021’s F9: The Fast Saga. Johnson subsequently declared his beef with Diesel was over, insisting they hashed things out last summer and that they would “lead with brotherhood” going forward.

Johnson will star in an upcoming Hobbs movie, with the film based on his lawman character set between Fast X and Fast X: Part 2, though no production details have been offered as yet. How much longer the Fast & Furious film series will last remains a mystery, however. Though Diesel stated during Fast X‘s Rome premiere that there will be a closing trilogy to the franchise, Leterrier has disputed that claim, opting to take things one movie at a time.

Fast X Raced Past $718 Million in Theaters

Despite a cast full of A-listers and a whopping $340 million budget, Fast X has earned a solid yet unspectacular $718 million at the global box office, with a large percentage of that revenue coming from overseas territories. Universal Pictures recently released the opening scene of Fast X ahead of its digital release, featuring Momoa’s vengeful character.

Fast X is now available on digital and Blu-ray, with the film due to hit Peacock on Sept. 15.