Dwayne Johnson, otherwise known as The Rock, has revealed the tension rising on the set of Fast and Furious 8 in a recent Instagram post.

Johnson, left, and his potential 'Candy Ass' colleague, Vin Diesel

Johnson, who has played Agent Luke Hobbs since Fast Five of the Fast and Furious films has revived the role for the latest film in the franchise, posted a video of him in character and punching a security guard to the floor and captioned it with a complaint about his colleagues:

“My female co-stars are always amazing and I love ’em. My male co-stars however are a different story. Some conduct themselves as stand up men and true professionals, while others don’t. The ones that don’t are too chicken s— to do anything about it anyway. Candy asses.”

US gossip websites have reported that Johnson is referring to his co-star and producer of the Fast and Furious films, Vin Diesel. TMZ claims that the pair had a secret meeting in Atlanta on Tuesday to clear the air, and that the rest of Diesel and Johnson’s cast mates were upset with the latter’s social media rant.

There was some suspicion that Johnson could have been referring to another Fast and Furious 8 co-star, Scott Eastwood, who recently used the term “candy-asses” in an Esquire interview with his father, Clint.

However, some pop culture websites have pointed out that the younger Eastwood would be on his best behaviour around Johnson as a relative newcomer to the franchise.

Diesel, meanwhile, has earned a reputation of being difficult behind the scenes. Production on Fast and Furious 8 was said to be delayed by the star’s temperament, with reports of him staying in his trailer and contributing to an atmosphere of low morale. On previous Fast and Furious films, Diesel reportedly slowed down production by questioning small details and calling late-night script meetings. The actor-producer denied these reports.

Either way, there has been some benefit to Johnson’s fury. The former WWE wrestler (who frequently used the term “Candy Ass” as a catchphrase while in the ring) says that his on-set frustration was so pronounced he didn’t really have to pretend he was angry in some scenes.

“When you watch this movie next April and it seems like I’m not acting in some of these scenes and my blood is legit boiling – you’re right. Bottom line is it’ll play great for the movie and fits this Hobbs character that’s embedded in my DNA extremely well. The producer in me is happy about this part.”

#ZeroToleranceForCandyAsses.