Vin Diesel: Memory of late Paul Walker influenced casting of John Cena in Fast 9 Vin Diesel as Dom and John Cena as Jakob in Fast & Furious 9 (Universal/PA) Vin Diesel has said it felt as though the late Paul Walker had sent John Cena to be in the new Fast & Furious film. WWE star Cena joins the high-octane action franchise for Fast & Furious 9, to play Diesel’s on-screen brother and arch nemesis. Walker, who was Diesel’s co-star in six Fast & Furious films, was killed in a car crash in 2013 when he was 40. A trailer for the new movie, which was delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, shows Diesel’s Dominic Toretto clashing with Cena’s Jakob, at the behest of Charlize Theron’s character, Cipher.