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The Rock Needs To Return For Fast & Furious 11 (& Black Adam Proves It)

Dwayne Johnson needs to return for Fast & Furious 11 to help end the franchise and save his status as a box office star after Black Adam. It’s been six years since The Rock last appeared in the main Fast & Furious franchise, and this time apart has not necessarily gone as planned. Johnson used Vin Diesel’s action movies as a stepping stone in his career that allowed him to try and launch new franchises. Black Adam at Warner Bros. and DC is the latest example, and the superhero movie was expected to be a massive hit for The Rock that would prove his value as a leading man with new IPs.

Making Black Adam is something Dwayne Johnson dreamed about even before he joined Fast & Furious. His focus shifted to the superhero franchise once his and Diesel’s feud led to the former WWE star essentially leaving the role of Luke Hobbs behind. While Vin Diesel has pleaded publicly for The Rock to return, he has repeatedly confirmed that Hobbs will not be in Fast X. His potential involvement in its sequel and self-described franchise finale is doubtful too. However, Black Adam proves that Dwayne Johnson needs to return for Fast & Furious 11 in a move that would be mutually beneficial.

Related: What Would Fast & Furious Movies Be Like Now Without The Rock?

Black Adam Is The Latest Dwayne Johnson Movie To Struggle At The Box Office
Black adam box office

Dwayne Johnson’s return for Fast & Furious 11 would come after The Rock’s movies started to struggle at the box office, a trend that Black Adam continued. The movie made $392 million worldwide after its release in October 2022. That was below public expectations, especially after Black Adam’s strong opening weekend. The film ended 2022 as the 14th highest grossing movie worldwide and 11th domestically. The $392M haul is not horrible for a potential franchise starter, but it is underwhelming thanks to the film’s budget (reportedly between $190M-$260M). The end result was reports in the press about Black Adam losing money, which The Rock then tried to deny.

Black Adam’s box office performance puts it in league with some of Dwayne Johnson’s other movie flops outside the Fast & Furious franchise. He famously starred in Warner Bros.’ Baywatch reboot, which performed poorly across the board. His other recent miss came with Disney’s Jungle Cruise, which only made $210M worldwide. To be fair, the movie was released at a poor time for the box office and was simultaneously available on Disney+ through Premiere Access. His DC League of Super-Pets also did not perform as well as hoped, making $204M worldwide at a time when Minions: Rise of Gru dominated.

Dwayne Johnson Needs Big Blockbusters (Not More Streaming Films)
The rock black adam red notice

Big action blockbusters like Fast & Furious have long been critical to Dwayne Johnson’s success. However, Black Adam’s box office performance made it easy for new DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran to move on and scrap any plans The Rock had for sequels or spinoffs. A Fast & Furious 11 role for Dwayne Johnson would be an opportunity to get himself back involved with a blockbuster franchise that consistently hits. While he has found some success with single movies, Jumanji is the only other theatrical blockbuster franchise that The Rock has. Fast & Furious 11 can give him more if he returns.

This would also allow Dwayne Johnson to pivot back to being a major box office star instead of headlining streaming films. The Rock’s popularity has translated to him developing multiple potential franchise starters for streaming services. He successfully turned Red Notice into a Netflix franchise with two sequels in development, while Prime Video’s Christmas franchise play Red could be another. These movies might give The Rock significant paydays, but they often lack the sustained success and cultural impact that theatrical blockbusters can have. Dwayne Johnson needs more blockbusters to break his box office cold streak. More streaming films make that trend more likely to continue.

Related: The Rock Didn’t Really Save Fast & Furious (But Made It Much Better)

Fast & Furious 11 Needs The Rock’s Hobbs To End The Franchise Right
Vin Diesel The Rock Feud Fast and furious 10 11

Fast & Furious 11 being Dwayne Johnson’s return as Luke Hobbs would not only benefit The Rock. It has been reported that Fast & Furious 11 is the final entry in the main franchise, meaning it could be the last time Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto, Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty, and others who have been around since early on are seen. Although Dwayne Johnson did not debut as Hobbs until Fast Five, there is no debate that he was instrumental to the franchise’s success and storytelling. His antagonistic introduction paved the way for The Rock and Diesel’s characters to eventually team up before going their separate ways again.

The Rock not returning for F9 or Fast X is a direct reaction to his and Diesel’s real-life feud, but that cannot get in the way of Hobbs returning in Fast & Furious 11. The movie cannot be a proper ending to the main franchise without Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel’s characters reuniting on screen. It would be like Avengers: Endgame ending without Iron Man and Captain America reuniting. Audiences deserve a chance to get one more team-up between Hobbs and Dom, especially when the stakes will surely be more significant than ever. This reunion would help ensure the franchise’s most prominent characters are part of the finale.

Dwayne Johnson’s Fast & Furious 11 return would also be a chance for the franchise finale to get a boost at the box office. Despite the struggles that Black Adam and some of The Rock’s movies have had, Fast & Furious has repeatedly benefited from his involvement. The last time he and Diesel starred in a film together, The Fate of the Furious made $1.2 billion worldwide. Once the two stars effectively split the franchise in half; Hobbs & Shaw made $760M with The Rock, and F9 made $726M (during the pandemic) with Diesel. Bringing their collective fanbases together can help Fast & Furious 11 succeed at the box office.

A Fast & Furious Return Can Change The Rock’s Career Again
Dwayne Johnson and the Fast & Furious cast

If The Rock returns for Fast & Furious 11, the franchise could help change his career once again. While Dwayne Johnson was becoming more of a star on his own before he joined Fast Five, this was the movie that helped establish him as a potential box office draw. The sequel nearly doubled the box office of its predecessor, beginning a trend that led to Johnson dubbing himself “franchise Viagra” on SNL in 2015 thanks to his ability to beef up the financial success of franchises. This came after joining the Fast & Furious, G.I. Joe, and Journey to the Center of the Earth franchises and seeing the sequel’s box office climb.

Related: How The Rock & Vin Diesel’s Feud Changed Fast & Furious Movies

Returning for Fast & Furious 11 would potentially help re-establish Dwayne Johnson’s status as a major box office draw. But the movie could also do much more for his career than that. It would be an opportunity for one of Hollywood’s most influential stars to take a step back in a sense. Any Fast & Furious return for The Rock would come after ending the public feud with Vin Diesel and other cast members. This would undoubtedly be a moment where Johnson could come out as the bigger man and agree to work through their differences so he can give the Fast & Furious franchise a sought-after reunion.

Furthermore, The Rock’s Fast & Furious return could help show that he does not always need to be the lead of a project. Dwayne Johnson rarely does movies where he is not the lead hero or villain. This is understandable on some level, but there could be more opportunities for The Rock if he were willing to play second-fiddle every once and a while. A smaller role could even help him not worry about the bigger picture or force the franchise to set up Hobbs & Shaw 2 and instead focus on making Fast & Furious 11 reach its potential.

More: Fast & Furious 11’S Final Scene Is Already Obvious

Key Release Dates Fast X Poster

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Fast & Furious 11 Release Delay & Filming Start Date Confirmed By Director

Summary

Fast and Furious 11
is facing a release date delay to Summer 2026 due to strikes, with director Louis Leterrier confirming the sequel will not be hitting its April 4, 2025 date.
Leterrier also confirms that filming starts in Fall 2025 after finishing a horror movie in September.
The final installment in the
Fast Saga
reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto for one last ride, while also leaving the door open for other spinoffs.

After facing multiple delays due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes, Fast and Furious 11 is seeing its release date delayed. The next installment in the Vin Diesel-fronted franchise is expected to be the last mainline sequel, while development continues on the Dwayne Johnson-led spinoff Hobbs & Reyes, a mysterious standalone movie penned by Fast X’s Zach Dean and a potential female-led spinoff. While a filming start date was never confirmed, Universal had previously set the movie for an April 2025 release date.

During a recent interview with Collider at a CCXP MX panel, Louis Leterrier was asked for an update on Fast and Furious 11. The director went on to confirm that the final mainline installment in the action franchise will no longer be making its April 4, 2025 release date, instead now aiming for a Summer 2026 release window with the filming start date being set for this fall. Check out what Leterrier said below:

It’s happening. It’s happening very, very soon. I’m able to shoot a little horror movie this summer. I’m finishing my horror movie on September 15th, and I start Fast on September 16th.

Will Fast 11’s Multiple Delays Help Or Hurt The Sequel?

Much like the tenth film before it, Fast and Furious 11 has faced a few behind-the-scenes hardships in its road to getting off the ground, namely the delays stemming from the 2023 strikes. While the latest movie seems to have retained its core creative team in comparison to the shift in directors from franchise vet Justin Lin to Leterrier on Fast X after reported creative differences between the former and Diesel, this change didn’t seem to help much with the continued downward trend recent sequels have seen from critics. Check out how the franchise’s Rotten Tomatoes scores compare below:

Title RT Critical Score RT Audience Score The Fast and the Furious 54% 74% 2 Fast 2 Furious 37% 50% The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift 37% 69% Fast & Furious 28% 67% Fast Five 78% 83% Fast & Furious 6 71% 84% Furious 7 81% 82% The Fate of the Furious 67% 72% Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw 67% 88% F9: The Fast Saga 59% 82% Fast X 56% 84%

Even looking outside the Fast and Furious franchise, many movie sequels have found themselves hurt by various delays, be they from creative changes, general release shifts or other factors. The action genre in particular is one in which lengthier development periods can lead to diminishing returns, be it A Good Day to Die Hard, Rambo: Last Blood or Diesel’s own xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. While Fast and Furious 11 may only be getting pushed back by a year, the delay is nonetheless a concern that the final installment could find itself in trouble.

Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) looking angry with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) looking unimpressed in Fast & Furious

Related 10 Most Exciting Things To Expect From Fast 11 Fast & Furious 11 will pull all the strings to become bigger than the previous installments, and here is why the film is worth being excited about.

On the other hand, the longer wait for Fast and Furious 11 to close out the mainline series of movies could actually prove beneficial for the sequel. Though Leterrier may be busy with another project in the lead-up to filming the next installment, writers Oren Uziel and Christina Hodson should now have more than enough time to really look back at the script and ensure it learns from the critical missteps of recent installments to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the Dominic Toretto saga.

Source: Collider

Fast and Furious 11 temp poster Fast and Furious 11 Fast and Furious 11 is the final movie in the Fast Saga. It reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto with the rest of the cast for one last ride. However, the franchise is open for spinoff films like Hobbs & Shaw afterward.Director Louis Leterrier Release Date April 4, 2025 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Christina Hodson , Oren Uziel

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Vin Diesel Already Has His Perfect Fast & Furious Replacement Franchise With 51-Year-Old Remake

Summary

Vin Diesel’s dominance in Fast & Furious is ending, but Kojak could kick off a new action franchise for him.
Kojak’s reboot faces an uncertain future, but its similarity to Fast & Furious makes it a worthy project for Diesel.
Diesel’s potential shift from criminal racer to cop signifies a fresh start in a possible Fast & Furious-like series.

Vin Diesel’s days of playing Dominic Toretto are numbered, but the actor has already found his perfect Fast & Furious replacement. Diesel found a major breakout role in the early 2000s thanks to participating in The Fast and the Furious. The original 2001 street racing crime movie became the springboard for a sprawling franchise that has lasted for over two decades. The success of the Fast & Furious movies transformed Vin Diesel’s career, turning him into an even bigger star, especially in the action movie genre. But, Fast & Furious 11 is planned as the final chapter for him and the franchise.

The Fast & Furious franchise’s end will put Vin Diesel in an unfamiliar position of not having a major franchise to lean back on. This presents the actor with various options, such as changing the course of his career to pursue non-franchise roles. However, the more likely outcome is that Diesel will attempt to find a new IP that can replace Fast & Furious. He has had trouble in that regard recently, with franchises like xXx or Riddick running cold and Bloodshot and The Last Witch Hunter failing to launch franchises. There is another option for Diesel, though.

2:03 Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto from The Fast & Furious Franchise

Related Vin Diesel May Have Spoiled Fast & Furious 11’s Ending With $2.7 Billion Movie Comparison Dom’s death happening in Fast & Furious 11 may have been spoiled already, with Vin Diesel comparing the upcoming movie to another big franchise.

Kojak Can Be Vin Diesel’s New Action Crime Franchise After Fast & Furious
Diesel Has Been Developing The Reboot Since 2015

The impending conclusion of the Fast & Furious franchise means it is finally time for Vin Diesel’s Kojak reboot to get off the ground. The project was announced back in 2015 with Diesel re-teaming with Universal Pictures, the studio behind Fast & Furious, to develop a movie based on Kojak. The original TV series starred Telly Savalas as Theo Kokaj and ran for three seasons after debuting in 1973. The series revolves around Kojak, a New York detective known for being willing to go beyond the law and a love for cars and lollipops, and follows him as he investigates different cases.

Kojak was rebooted in 2005 as a TV show starring Ving Rhames, but it only ran for six episodes

Development on Vin Diesel’s Kojak movie has not been very active in the nine years since it was announced. However, it still maintains the base similarities to Fast & Furious, which makes the project a worthwhile endeavor for Diesel in terms of finding a new action franchise. He would now have another big action series about cars and crime, essentially making Kojak into a newer version of Fast & Furious. The irony here is that Diesel takes on the role of a cop after playing criminal racer Dominic Toretto.

Vin Diesel’s Involvement Can Morph Kojak Into A Major Action Franchise
Kojak Could Be A Fast & Furious Clone
Telly Savalas talking on the phone in Kojak

Looking at the original TV show, Kojak might not necessarily project to be a major blockbuster action franchise akin to Fast & Furious. The TV series was relatively grounded and small due to the nature of its production. However, the fact that Diesel and Universal pinpointed this property as something they wanted to revive together is telling. The announcement of Kojak’s reboot came months after Furious 7 debuted in theaters and took the franchise to new heights at the box office and in terms of how ridiculously big the action and story could get.

It’s sometimes difficult to remember that Fast & Furious started off with a story about DVD thieves who were also street racers before Diesel helped turn it into something much bigger. With that experience and success already behind him, it would be understandable if a similar path was envisioned for Kojak. The series could then morph into a Fast & Furious clone, one that gives Vin Diesel a new franchise to headline and Universal a “fresh” action franchise to grow.

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The Rock’s WWE Run Means Fast & Furious 11 Must Make 1 Major Hobbs Change

Summary

Hobbs from Fast & Furious 11 needs a gritty edge like The Rock’s WWE character to keep the franchise fresh and exciting.
The Rock’s time away from the Fast & Furious universe provides the perfect reason for Hobbs to return with a personal vendetta and a more savage attitude.
While Hobbs shouldn’t become a full-fledged villain in Fast & Furious 11, adding some edginess and dirty tricks could make his character more intriguing and dynamic.

Fast & Furious 11 must make one major Hobbs change after The Rock’s incredible WWE run. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s WWE return surpassed his recent movies, with the actor creating some of the best work of his career. Having returned to a thunderous reception, The Rock was able to flip the crowd’s reception by becoming a heel and playing a major part in WrestleMania’s main events. The Rock hasn’t played a villain on screen for years, as even his depiction of Black Adam lent more into the character’s anti-hero side, which made his wrestling run all the more refreshing.

While his wrestling character may not perfectly translate into the Fast & Furious universe, there is one aspect of The Rock’s WWE run that the franchise should attempt to implement. After debuting in Fast Five, The Rock’s best Fast & Furious scenes helped contribute to the movie series becoming so popular, with Luke Hobbs becoming an instrumental part of the story. He was even given his own spinoff alongside Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) and is set to get a solo movie in the future. Despite this, Hobbs would still benefit from adding one key aspect of The Rock’s WWE run.

The Rock’s WWE Run Proves Fast & Furious 11 Needs To Give Hobbs More Of An Edge
Fast & Furious Would Benefit From Hobbs Adopting Some Of The Rock’s WWE Tendancies
Dwayne The Rock Johnson in Black Adam, WWE, and Hobbs and Shaw

Given how electrifying The Rock’s recent WWE run was, there is no doubt Fast & Furious 11 needs to give Hobbs more of an edge. Although the character has had his more serious moments, like most of the Fast & Furious cast, Hobbs tends to mix action with comedy. Hobbs and Shaw are supposed to be two of the more stoic heroes, yet they are constantly at each other’s throats and cracking jokes to help maintain the franchise’s lighthearted core. However, giving Hobbs a grittier side would help the character thrive upon his return.

The Rock’s Fast & Furious return may redeem Fast X’s box office, but the character needs to come back stronger than ever. By allowing him to be more ruthless, he can still maintain some elements of comedy but also become more interesting in the process. Johnson proved that despite being a detestable heel, he was still as hilarious as ever during his recent WWE tenure. This proves that he can maintain Fast & Furious’ tone and humorous style while being more layered; therefore, Hobbs adopting some of The Rock’s WWE characteristics could make him even more entertaining.

Fast & Furious Already Has A Reason For Hobbs To Be More Savage
Hobbs Has Been Away From The Franchise For Several Years

Making a major change to Hobbs’ character could be tough to explain, but Fast & Furious 11 already has a great reason to make him more savage. His four-year absence from the franchise gives him a perfect excuse to come back with a vengeance and potentially have a personal attachment to Fast & Furious 11’s villains. Hobbs’ time away from the main story could be explained through a connection to Fast X’s secondary villain, Aimes. Aimes’ villain twist in Fast X was well executed and suggests he’ll be around for the sequel, which is the perfect reason to bring back Hobbs.

Having a more personal story with one of the villains could allow Hobbs to continue his great quips and one-liners, but it would also give him more of an edge.

Fast X never explained why he’s back, but having a personal vendetta against Aimes could be an intriguing reason. Given Dom and Dante are the focal point of the franchise’s conclusion, Hobbs returning to take down Aimes would avoid overshadowing the main story while still giving him an interesting role. Having a personal story with one of the villains could allow Hobbs to continue his great quips and one-liners, while also giving him more of an edge. This provides The Rock with the perfect reason to implement some of his heel traits while still portraying a morally good hero.

2:34 Image 147 Related Predicting The Ending Of All 13 Fast & Furious Characters In Fast 11 The Fast Saga is set to conclude with Fast & Furious 11 – or Fast X 2 – but how will Dom Toretto and his family’s stories come to a definitive end?

Why Fast & Furious Can’t Bring The Rock Back As A Villain
Hobbs Already Appeared As An Antagonist In Fast Five
A custom image featuring Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious movies Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury

Although The Rock’s villainous tendencies worked well in the WWE, Fast & Furious can’t bring him back as an antagonist. Johnson already played the main villain of Fast Five, as Hobbs was originally an enemy of Dom and his crew before becoming an ally. Hobbs’ role in Fast Five was one of his best, but despite being the main antagonist, he always had a level of integrity. Dropping all of this to make him a villain in the final movie would be completely unnecessary, especially as the franchise needs him to remain a hero for his spinoff.

Fast & Furious 11 may end the main story, but The Rock will be part of the franchise beyond this, and altering his character so drastically wouldn’t make any sense. Instead, adding some extra edge to his character would have the same effect and would avoid stealing the thunder from Dante and Aimes. Although Fast & Furious 11 shouldn’t make him a villain, the film can still allow Hobbs to play dirty and pull some cheap tricks in order to show a grittier side, while letting him taunt his enemies when he inevitably helps save the day.

Fast & Furious 11
is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 4, 2025.

Fast and Furious 11 temp poster Fast and Furious 11 Fast and Furious 11 is the final movie in the Fast Saga. It reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto with the rest of the cast for one last ride. However, the franchise is open for spinoff films like Hobbs & Shaw afterward.Director Louis Leterrier Release Date April 4, 2025 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Christina Hodson , Oren Uziel

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