Director Justin Lin has “nothing but love” for his Fast and Furious “family” following his departure from Fast X.

In April 2022, shortly after filming got underway on the tenth Fast movie, Lin announced he was stepping down as the director but would remain onboard as a producer.

During Monday’s episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast, which was recorded in November, the filmmaker insisted there are no hard feelings between him and the Fast X cast.

“I look back now and it’s a year and a half and there’s nothing but love, you know, for the cast,” he said. “I know everyone jokes about family, family, family and like, that’s how I feel. You know, this is a crazy business and to be able to go through 15 to 18 years with your group of people and to be able to just grow together, it’s very special.”

Lin was replaced by Now You See Me director Louis Leterrier, and Fast X, starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez and Jason Momoa, was released in May 2023.

The Star Trek Beyond filmmaker, who co-wrote Fast X’s screenplay, did not divulge details surrounding his exit, although he explained that he was there to support Leterrier if he needed it.

“I’d rather have the characters speak for the franchise, you know, and so I think whatever happened, it shouldn’t be important,” he stated. “And I was there, whatever they needed, whatever Louis or anybody, I just want to be supportive. I think that’s the spirit of that situation but also just overall, that’s important to me.”

Lin joined the franchise with the third instalment, 2006’s The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and went on to direct the fourth, fifth, sixth and ninth chapters.

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