Overview
- Cristiano Ronaldo's potential appearance was suggested by Vin Diesel in an Instagram post, but neither Universal nor Ronaldo has confirmed participation.
- Reporting cites that principal photography has not begun, most returning stars have not signed on, and the current script has not received studio approval.
- Budget pressure is central, with insiders saying the draft would cost about $250 million while Universal is aiming near $200 million after the last film’s thin profitability.
- Diesel has floated April 2027 for release of the concluding installment, yet the timeline remains tentative given unresolved contracts, script approval, and cost targets.
- Ronaldo has been building film-industry ties, co-founding the studio UR•MARV in April 2025, and Diesel previously wrote a role for him in the 2009 short Los Bandoleros.