'A broken brotherhood' at center of Fast 9, says Vin Diesel

The focus on blood family -- and not "found family" -- is somewhat new for the franchise. In Fast 9 Vin Diesel's character Dom Toretto reflects on his father and he has to reconcile with something that pre-dates the first movie.

Los Angeles:Vin Diesel says the ninth Fast & Furious movie centers on a "broken brotherhood" between his Dom Toretto character and John Cena's Jakob Toretto. The actor and producer says Dom finds himself reflecting on his father after he becomes a dad in F9 -- the latest chapter in the car-centric action franchise.

"Because this chapter delves into fatherhood with a character that we all grew up with, Dom Toretto -- he's starting to reflect on his own father. As we so often do, right? Once we have kids, first thing we do as dads start thinking about our dad and started thinking about just our relationship and just trying to understand as we embark on our own journey of fatherhood. When he does start to reflect on his father, he comes to uncover a broken brotherhood. Complicated and broken," Diesel said. "And this is the person who has been a champion of brotherhood and a champion of family for all the decades we've known them. And yet for him to be the best father, he has to reflect on his father and he has to reconcile with something that pre-dates the first movie."

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The focus on blood family -- and not "found family" -- is somewhat new for the franchise.

"The Fast family is a collective crew of diverse individuals who love and care for each other and are loyal to each other and go on these incredible adventures that are extremely entertaining with each other," Cena said. "I have family bond with my last name, but I'm that weird, uncomfortable, conflicted nature that families often go through."

Cena says he pulled from his own experience as a middle child in his family. "Definitely competition, certainly neglect, you want attention, you want to be heard, you want to stand out amongst your -- you want to have your own identity. Like there's a lot of things when you're put into a group," he said.

F9 crashes into theaters in the U.S. -- on more than 4,000 screens -- on June 25.