The headline is no joke. Denzel Washington was offered a role in Fast & Furious 7 and its follow-up, but ended up turning it down. If this is the kind of talent that Universal is aiming for, the confirmed actor for the James Wan-directed film should be in or around the same tier. But don’t be surprised if it’s not.

Those who stuck around for the end of the Fast and Furious 6 (or Furious 6 as it was seen on its title card), saw that Jason Statham had killed a member of Dom Toretto’s crew and was seeking revenge on the rest for what they had done to his brother, Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), in the film.

But how does Washington fit into all of this? Well, according to Deadline, Washington was to play opposite of Vin Diesel and the rest of the gang in small role in the seventh film, but a much bigger one in the film for the next one. Here is the exact quote from the report:

Universal was maybe a little to ambitious to get an actor like Washington to play small role in a film whose significance would increase by the next film. But on the flip side of that coin is the fact that the Fast and Furious franchise is one of Universal’s most lucrative titles to date. Still, it’s not that surprising to hear that Washington turned down the offer. But as to who could fill in for that role, that should be interesting to see.

[Source: Deadline]