'Fast X' has 1 must-see end-credits scene that changes the franchise. Here's what it means for the sequel.

• Warning: There are spoilers ahead for the "Fast X" mid-credits scene.
• The Rock makes a surprise appearance despite previously claiming he'd never return to the franchise.

"Fast X" ends on many twists and a shocking cliffhanger, but nothing may be more surprising than the must-see mid-credits sequence.

Added late in production, the scene addresses a major plot point that's avoided for all of "Fast X" as antagonist Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa) goes after Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew for the death of his father, Hernan, in "Fast Five," despite Dom not being responsible for the character's murder.

If you headed out to theaters and left early, here's what to know about the scene that'll have everyone talking.

What happens: Luke Hobbs returns

The scene starts with a group of masked agents raiding an abandoned building.

As one agent enters a theater, he walks toward a television playing Roy Rogers' "Happy Trails." Rogers and Dale Evans sing ominous lyrics, "Happy trails to you. 'Til we meet again."

A cell phone rings. The agent answers and Dante's voice is heard on the other end.

"Howdy partner. Do you like surprises?" Dante tells the mystery person, adding, "You took the most important thing in my life from me. Dom drove the car, but you? You pulled the trigger and now I'm gonna make you suffer."

As Dante speaks, the scene cuts to the end of "Fast Five," finishing a scene that replayed at the movie's start. Deliberately omitted from the opening minutes, Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) appears on-screen, killing Hernan Reyes.

The mystery agent removes his mask, revealing it's Hobbs.

"The devil's coming for you," Dante says, pausing before sarcastically adding, "Lawman."

"Well, I ain't hard to find you sumbitch."

Before Insider was aware of a mid-credits scene featuring Johnson, I asked director Louis Leterrier if he had planned to shoot anything with the actor or have someone tell Dante it was Hobbs, not Dom, who killed his father.

After a laugh, Leterrier said, "That's the whole key. Obviously, it was not a one-man job."

The Rock's return to the franchise is a shock

Johnson's return to "The Fast Saga" is a surprise since the actor publicly said there "was no chance" he would return to the franchise.

Johnson and Diesel have reportedly feuded on and off all the way back to 2016, since working on the franchise's eighth film, "The Fate of the Furious."

In November 2021, Diesel publicly asked Johnson to return to the "Fast" franchise for its 10th film. In an Instagram post, Diesel asked Johnson to "not leave the franchise idle," adding that the actor had "a very important role to play" in the movie, one we now know.

At the time, Johnson called Diesel's request "manipulative" in an interview with CNN for mentioning their children and Paul Walker, the former "Fast" franchise star who died in 2013.

Johnson said he had already told Diesel he had no plans to play Hobbs again.

"I told him directly - and privately - that I would not be returning to the franchise," Johnson told CNN in December 2021. "I was firm yet cordial with my words and said that I would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return. I privately spoke with my partners at Universal as well, all of whom were very supportive as they understand the problem."

So why the change of heart?

The hot gossip among journalists at early "Fast X" screenings speculated that Johnson recently shot the surprise cameo after his DC film "Black Adam" failed to make waves at the box office with a paltry worldwide gross of $393 million.

A Universal representative declined Insider's request for comment about Johnson's return to the franchise.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Leterrier said he and the film's team at Universal brokered a "peace treaty" between Diesel and Johnson. After convincing him to screen the sequel, they started talking about including him in a post-credit scene.

Why the franchise needed The Rock to return and what it means for the sequel

As Dante sought vengeance against Dom's crew, it was bizarre no one pointed out Hobbs' role in the murder of his father.

Sure, Dom may have been responsible for crashing Reyes' car and Dom's crew may have stolen a lot of the Reyes' fortune, but it was Hobbs who pulled the trigger on Dante's father.

He didn't even kill Hernan in self-defense.

Instead of arresting Reyes for his illegal activities in Brazil, the Diplomatic Security Service agent ruthlessly murdered him.

When Reyes reached out to Hobbs for help, he coldly shot Reyes without hesitation, exacting his own brand of justice after losing some of his team.

By ignoring that very important detail until a recently added credits scene, it was as if the "Fast" saga was trying to ignore or write around the plot point in the event Johnson never returned.

"Fast X" and any sequels would've been less believable without the mid-credits reveal because any real fan knows Hobbs killed Hernan Reyes.

If Johnson never returned, it likely would've been handled in some way. A sequel could've explored killing Hobbs off-screen with Dante informing Dom he conveniently took care of the person who put a bullet in his dad before targeting the rest of the "Fast" fam.

Instead, Hobbs' return opens up more avenues for a sequel.

We don't expect Dante to go easy on Hobbs. Previous films introduced Hobbs' daughter into the mix who Dante could potentially target.

If Hobbs is able to turn the tables on Dante, we could see him trying to roll in as a white knight, saving the day.

"Fast X" is now in theaters. Read our review here.