The Fast & Furious saga will supposedly be coming to the end with Fast & Furious 11, and the upcoming sequel marks the perfect opportunity to finally do justice to one forgotten character. Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs hasn’t been given the star treatment he deserves in recent sequels, and the final movie has the high-pressure responsibility of making sure that his character arc resolves in a satisfying but unpredictable way. This will be surprisingly difficult given how drastically the recent Fast movies have changed Hobbs’ personality.
Throughout the Fast & Furious movies, certain characters and specific storylines have changed massively from where they started. Many audiences have criticized Fast & Furious for becoming too unbelievable after the first few movies; what started as a grounded thriller about stealing DVDs and petty crimes became a saga of global espionage and international terrorism. As a result, many of the Fast saga’s most iconic characters had to change massively to fit into this new world – Luke Hobbs was one of these, but Fast & Furious 11 has the perfect opportunity to redeem his skewed character arc.
The Rock’s Luke Hobbs Became A Totally Different Character In Furious 7
Hobbs Became A More Simplistic Character
Dwayne Johnson’s introduction in Fast Five was a huge turning point for the Fast & Furious saga, and The Rock’s continued involvement in the franchise is a major contributor to its success over the past few years. However, there’s no denying that Hobbs’ character has changed since that first adventure in Brazil. Hobbs was originally intended to be a rougher, more morally ambiguous figure who was willing to put his ethics aside to finish a job to the best of his ability. This is what made him so compelling, and it’s the reason he fit in so well alongside Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Connor.
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Although Furious 7 is one of the best Fast & Furious movies, there’s something about the franchise that shifted in that outing. It felt slightly more lighthearted and often cartoonish compared to the previous installments, and that was very obvious through Hobbs’ character. He became a more stoic, stereotypical “action hero” figure – more in line with the other roles that Dwayne Johnson was known for. Perhaps this was a safer decision for the actor, but it removed the most engaging aspects of Hobbs’ personality in the process.
Fast & Furious’ Luke Hobbs Problem Was Part Of A Larger Dwayne Johnson Change
The Rock Became A Typical Action Hero Around The Same Time
The major shift in Hobbs’ character in the Fast saga happened at the same time that Dwayne Johnson was beginning to reform his image within the action genre outside of the Fast & Furious franchise. Previously, the actor had been known for his roles in movies like Hercules and Pain & Gain, where he played “gray” characters. Luke Hobbs’ original portrayal fit into this paradigm.
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In the years following Furious 7’s release, Dwayne Johnson became a much more typical Hollywood action star, whose characters are always flawlessly strong and unwaveringly “good” in the typical sense. Hobbs’ personality was likely changed to fit more neatly with this public image that Johnson was going for, and while it’s undeniably worked for the actor, it hasn’t worked for Luke Hobbs. He was never conceived as a wholly “good” character, and it’s disappointing to see his moral complexities wiped away to make his actions more superficial.
I Hope Fast & Furious 11 Brings Out The Real Luke Hobbs To Face Dante Reyes
Jason Momoa’s Antagonist Could Finally Break Hobbs’ Moral Compass
Dwayne Johnson now seems much more willing to break free of this typical action star persona. Johnson will star in upcoming projects from Martin Scorsese and Benny Safdie, two acclaimed filmmakers known for their dark and gritty roles; this could be the beginning of an important shift in Johnson’s image, and it would be excellent to see this reflected in Fast & Furious.
Fast 11 is the perfect opportunity to bring Hobbs’ dark side back.
Fast and Furious 11 will see the return of Luke Hobbs as he’s dragged back into the business by Dante Reyes, the vengeful son of Brazilian crime lord Hernan Reyes, whom Toretto and Hobbs brought down in Fast Five. Fast 11 is the perfect opportunity to bring Hobbs’ dark side back, reminding him of those early adventures and making him fight for his life against Fast & Furious’ most dangerous antagonist yet. If anybody can bring back the “real” Luke Hobbs, it should be Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes.
- Movie(s)
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The Fast And The Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, Hobbs and Shaw, F9: The Fast Saga, Fast X, Hobbs and Shaw 2, Fast X: Part 2
- Cast
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Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Lucas Black, Sung Kang, Bow Wow, Jordana Brewster, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, John Cena
- Video Game(s)
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The Fast and the Furious (2004), The Fast and the Furious (2006), Fast & Furious: SuperCars, Fast & Furious: Showdown, Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious, Fast & Furious Crossroads
