After Dwayne Johnson’s unexpected return inFast X,Fast & Furious 11needs to bring back the real Luke Hobbs — the reckless, morally gray antihero — not the generic The Rock character he’s become. After breaking off to appear in his own spin-off withHobbs & Shawand being suspiciously absent fromF9,Hobbs made a surprise return inFast X. As Dante Reyes continued his quest to pick off everyone in Dom Toretto’s crew in retaliation for his father’s death, he called Hobbs and warned him that he was his next target.
While it’s exciting that Hobbs is back and he can get a proper ending inFast & Furious 11, Hobbs hasn’t really been Hobbs for a few movies now. As Johnson’s movie star image has evolved (into something far less interesting), Hobbs has become a much safer character in theFast & Furiousfranchise. Now that he’s back and he’s being targeted for vengeance by one oftheFast & Furioussaga’s most dangerous villains, Hobbs needs to ditch The Rock’s safe on-screen persona and go back to his darker original characterization.
Luke Hobbs Hasn’t Been The Same Character In Fast & Furious Since Furious 6
Hobbs Just Became Another Generic Dwayne Johnson Character
When Hobbs was introduced inFast Five, he was a morally ambiguous character. He was a vicious antagonist who wanted nothing more than to bring Dom and his crew to justice. Halfway throughFast Five,Hobbs got into a brutal fight with Dom. Over the course of that movie andFast & Furious 6, he gradually grew to respect Dom’s crew and even became a reliable ally. But he was still reluctant to call himself Dom’s friend, and his loyalty to law enforcement came before his loyalty to Dom and his family.
Fast & Furious' Timeline Will Only Get More Confusing After The Rock’s Fast X Return
It’s great to see Dwayne Johnson back in the Fast & Furious franchise, but his upcoming Luke Hobbs spin-off will complicate the timeline.
Then, inFurious 7,The Fate of the Furious, andHobbs & Shaw, the way the character was written completely changed. He went from being the villain who reluctantly teamed up with Dom — the ethically questionable antihero who will bend the law to enforce it — to justa generic, run-of-the-mill The Rock character. Johnson’s character in these later sequels is less recognizable as Hobbs from the previousFast & Furiousfilms and more familiar asJohnson’s rigid, unwavering, interchangeable on-screen personafrom movies likeRampageandSkyscraperandRed Notice.
Dante Is Out For Revenge, So Hobbs Will Have To Step Up In Fast & Furious 11
Dispatching Dante Will Require The Old Hobbs To Make A Comeback
Dante is out for blood, and he demonstrated inFast Xthat he’s not messing around. Now that he’s coming after Hobbs,it’s time for the classic, more reckless Hobbs who (literally) shoots first and asks questions later to make a comeback. When Dante called Hobbs to threaten him inFast X, Hobbs sternly told him he wouldn’t be hard to find, accepting the challenge of a vengeful old enemy coming back to haunt him. This teased the return of badass Hobbs, and now,Fast & Furious 11needs to follow up on it.
A sequel toHobbs & ShawcalledHobbs & Reyesis in development.
Dante is essentially theFast & Furiousfranchise’s answer to the Joker. Jason Momoa even plays him like Heath Ledger’s portrayal of the Joker. Andtaking down a Joker inFast & Furious 11will require a Batman. The generic The Rock character that Hobbs has turned into is nothing like the Dark Knight, but Hobbs in his original form had a lot in common with the Bat. This version of Hobbs needs to come back inFast 11if Dom and his crew want an honest shot at defeating Dante once and for all.
Fast & Furious' Hobbs Change Was Part Of A Larger Dwayne Johnson Problem
It Was Around The Time The Rock Became A Franchise Unto Himself
The change in Hobbs’ characterization happened around the time that Johnson became a franchise unto himself, always playing the same character in the same type of movie. He stopped being an actor andbecame more of a brand with an image to protect. He stopped playing characters who were even the slightest bit unlikable. Every character he played wasboth an unstoppable force of nature and a lovable softie. And that’s what happened to Hobbs afterFast & Furious 6: he stopped being an individual character and just became an extension of The Rock’s brand.
He stopped being an individual character and just became an extension of The Rock’s brand.
FromFurious 7onward, Hobbs was characterized as a badass with a heart of gold. He’s a tough-as-nails mercenary who will also coach a girls’ soccer team. He rips his cast off to join the final battle and redirects a missile with his bare hands, but he’s also a loving father. It’s much too safe —Johnson’s original take on Hobbs was a lot more fun. Before theFast & Furioussaga ends (maybe?) withFast & Furious 11, Hobbs needs to return to his original characterization and go a little darker.
Fast X: Part 2
Cast
Fast X: Part 2 continues the high-octane saga as the eleventh installment in The Fast Saga, directly following the events of Fast X. The film reunites the ensemble cast as they face new challenges and adversaries on their globe-trotting adventures in the pursuit of justice and survival.
