Vin Diesel dropped out of Riddick when he discovered he was to become a dad

Vin Diesel dropped his plans to make to make new movie Riddick before the last Fast & the Furious film - because he didn't want to be playing such a dark character while his girlfriend was pregnant.

The action man stalled the project when he discovered he was about to become a dad again because he didn't want any negativity around when his son was born.

He tells WENN, "We were initially trying to make Riddick before I did Fast Five and then I learned that we were expecting a child. I didn't think it would be fair to the child and I didn't think it would be fair to the fans to go to that dark place while welcoming a life into the world... I didn't want to be in that headspace.

"Playing the character is sometimes a lot more difficult than other characters because it takes so much preparation. I went to the woods for four months and prepared by basically being a recluse. So Riddick waited until after I did the more family-centered Fast Five."