Dwayne Johnson is returning as Luke Hobbs in Fast & Furious. Here’s what The Rock’s return to the Fast & Furious movies means for the franchise.
WARNING: This article discusses SPOILERS for Fast X.
The Rock’s Fast and Furious return has major implications for Fast X and the rest of the saga. Dwayne Johnson’s return to Fast and Furious has been officially confirmed ahead of Fast X’s premiere. After starring in four Fast and Furious films, including one spinoff, and missing F9, The Rock rejoins the Fast family for the franchise’s finale.
Hobbs was introduced in Fast Five, during which the FBI was chasing Dominic Toretto and his crew. Hobbs would return in Fast & Furious 6, now part of Dom’s family. Johnson also starred in Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious before exiting the main saga. Despite reprising his role as Hobbs in the Hobbs & Shaw spinoff, Dwayne Johnson was not expected to appear in any of the main Fast Saga movies following his clash with Vin Diesel. Here’s what Hobbs’ return means for Fast and Furious.
10The Rock’s Return Is Great For Fast X & Fast 11’s Box Office
Dwayne Johnson’s return to Fast and Furious in Fast X should have an immediate impact in the box offices of both Fast X and Fast X Part 2. The confirmation that The Rock has returned to Fast and Furious just a few days before Fast X premiers can only add to the anticipation leading up to the film, especially because Hobbs’ return always seemed very unlikely. Filming for Fast X began on April 21, 2022, and there were no hints or reports of The Rock returning as Hobbs until now. The Fast and Furious franchise is a box office titan by itself, but Dwayne Johnson’s star power can make it even stronger.
To put things in perspective, Fast Five, The Rock’s first Fast and Furious movie, grossed $626 million at the worldwide box office, a significant increase from Fast & Furious (2009). Fast & Furious 6, which saw The Rock’s Hobbs fighting side by side with Dom Toretto’s family, claimed $788,7 million at the box office. The two highest-grossing Fast and Furious movies of all time, Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious, also featured Dwayne Johnson’s character. Both Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious broke the billion-dollar barrier. Hobbs & Shaw, starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, grossed $760, 7 million.
9Luke Hobbs Must Be A Big Part Of The Fast Saga’s Ending
According to The Wrap’s original report, The Rock’s Hobbs returns in Fast X for a post-credits scene. While no official comment regarding Dwayne Johnson’s Fast and Furious return has been made, the actor would surely not return just for a small tease in Fast X. Hobbs will likely play a big part in the Fast and Furious finale, which begins in Fast X. Originally, Fast & Furious 11, or Fast X Part 2, was expected to the be the final Fast and Furious movie. However, Vin Diesel recently teased Fast & Furious 12 as the actual ending. If Fast & Furious 12 happens, Hobbs might be back for two movies.
8Is Dwayne Johnson & Vin Diesel’s Feud Over Now?
Hobbs’ exit from the main Fast and Furious movies was the culmination of a long feud between Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel. Reports of a clash between Vin Diesel and The Rock began during the production of The Fate of the Furious. Both actors would later confirm their feud, followed by the announcement that Dwayne Johnson would star in his own Fast and Furious spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw. The Rock did not return for F9, and it seemed like the bad blood with Vin Diesel continued. Hobbs’ return in Fast X suggests that the feud might be over, or that at least Diesel and Johnson are willing to work together.
7Even More Characters Will Likely Return In Fast 11
Fast X’s Hobbs return suggests that even more Fast and Furious characters will return in Fast 11. Vin Diesel has described the Fast and Furious finale as a story that had to be slipped into multiple pieces and referred to Fast & Furious 11 as Fast X Part 2 at CinemaCon 2023. How exactly Fast X leads into Fast X Part 2 remains to be seen, but Diesel has confirmed that the former ends on a cliffhanger. Fast X Part 2 can be the culmination of the Fast Saga, bringing back not only The Rock’s Hobbs but also other Fast and Furious characters. A potential Gal Gadot Gisele return, for example.
6Hobbs & Shaw 2 Is More Likely To Happen Now
Hobbs & Shaw grossed $760, 7 million on a $200 million budget, a solid start for what could have been a series of Fast and Furious spinoffs, Surprisingly, however, Hobbs & Shaw 2 never happened. The Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham Fast and Furious spinoff may not have outgrossed Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious, but it made more than all other Fast and Furious movies released up until that point. With both The Rock’s Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Shaw back in Fast X, Hobbs & Shaw 2 becomes more likely to happen. Ideally, Hobbs & Shaw 2 could even feature other established Fast and Furious characters.
5The Rock’s Return Proves Fast & Furious Still Needed Him
More than a box office matter, The Rock’s return to Fast and Furious is good for the saga in terms of excitement. It is difficult to say what was the box office impact of Hobbs’ absence in F9, as the film was released in a pandemic context and therefore had a very unusual box office run. That said, F9 was just not as good as previous Fast and Furious movies, and The Rock’s absence is one of the reasons why. Be it as an antagonist or as a friend, Hobbs always brought something different to the Fast and Furious films. The best Fast and Furious movies featured The Rock, after all.
Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs stole the show in Fast Five, delivering an antagonist that was unlike anything Brian and Toretto had faced up until that point. The Rock’s inclusion in Fast and Furious summarized the saga’s transition from films about cars to an action-oriented blockbuster franchise. Despite them being on the same side after Fast Five, there was always tension between Dom and Hobbs. This tension set the tone for The Fate of the Furious, during which Hobbs had to chase Dominic Toretto once again.
4Dwayne Johnson Coming Back To Fast & Furious Shows His Franchise Problem
Dwayne Johnson’s return to Fast and Furious shortly after Black Adam’s box office failure confirms that Hobbs is The Rock’s most successful character. Even though Johnson has starred in multiple movies since The Fate of the Furious, most of which did okay at the box office, the star never got to launch a franchise as big as Fast and Furious. Not even Hobbs & Shaw, which could have been The Rock’s own Fast and Furious saga, got a sequel. The only exceptions are the Jumanji sequels, The Rock’s most successful movies outside of the Fast Saga. DC’s Black Adam could’ve been Johnson’s new franchise, but it flopped amidst a DC reboot.
3The Rock’s Return Improves John Cena’s Fast & Furious Role
John Cena joined Fast and Furious for F9 as Jakob Toretto, Dom and Mia’s long-lost brother, who had now returned as a villain. Jakob’s introduction right after Hobbs’ exit led to the perception that John Cena was replacing The Rock in Fast and Furious. Each Fast and Furious movie tends to be bigger than the previous one, meaning that F9 would have to find another action star to replace Dwayne Johson. This “Hobbs replacement” label played against Cena’s Jakob, who returns in Fast X. With Hobbs back into the Fast family, Jakob is no longer Hobbs’ replacement. In addition, The Rock and John Cena will finally be in a movie together.
2Fast & Furious Can Focus Less On Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto
The Rock’s return to Fast and Furious in Fast X means that the sequel can focus a bit less on Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto, something that had become a problem in recent films. Dom Toretto had been the face of the saga along with Paul Walker’s Brian O’ Conner since the beginning, but recent Fast and Furious films were just way too Toretto-centered. Obviously, without Brian, Dom had to become the sole main character. However, Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs role allowed Fast and Furious to sometimes shift the focus from Dom to another major, entertaining character. Hobbs is big enough of a name to share the spotlight with Dom in Fast 11.
1Hobbs’ Fast X Return Brings Fast & Furious Full Circle
Dwayne Johnson’s return as Hobbs in Fast X, even if from a post-credits scene ahead of a bigger role in Fast 11, brings the saga full circle. Hobbs was introduced in Fast Five, the movie that truly kicked off the current Fast and Furious franchise. Fast Five is now being revisited in Fast X, which brings the crew back to Rio de Janeiro to face Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes. Jason Momoa’s Fast X character is the son of Hernan Reyes, Fast Five’s villain, who is seeking revenge for the death of his father. It was Hobbs who actually killed Hernan Reyes, not Dom, which adds to The Rock’s Fast X return.
