'Fast 8' release date, cast news: Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson confirms return for next 'Fast & Furious' film

While Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who played Diplomatic Security Service agent Luke Hobbs in three of the "Fast & Furious" films, said last year that the franchise couldn't go on without Hobbs in it, fans of the actor/professional wrestler were still unsure about whether or not he would actually be back for "Fast 8," the next installment in the action/racing series.

It didn't help that The Rock didn't have much screen time in the last "Fast & Furious" film. While Hobbs did play an important role in "Furious 7," Johnson spent most of the film in a hospital bed. Given the actor's short screen time in the previous film, his jam-packed 2016 schedule, and a lack of confirmation from Universal Pictures on his casting, many have feared that Johnson could be written out of the "Fast 8" script.

Fortunately, The Rock has recently given definitive confirmation of his involvement in "Fast 8." On Sunday, Feb. 7, the actor posted a video on Instagram about his training regimen and captioned the clip:

"Real deal. Our 2016 shooting schedule is a grueling 12months straight of filming (Ballers, Baywatch, Fast & Furious 8 and the big one, Rampage) it requires me putting together a team of professionals from all areas of business who bring their own expertise to the table."

In the caption, Johnson praised his strength and conditioning coach, Hany Rambod, and complained about having to start his day at 4 a.m., but said: "Any success worth you and I working extremely hard for will always be worth having in the end. Especially if you want to be the #1 top dog in your business."

In January, "Fast & Furious" star Vin Diesel revealed that the eighth film in the franchise will be set in New York City. It has also been reported that "Fast 8" is seeking approval to film in Cuba and that director F. Gary Gray will be taking the film in a different direction and that he doesn't want audiences to feel like the "Furious 7" sequel is just "more of the same."

"Fast 8" lands in cinemas on April 14, 2017.