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The Rock Didn’t Really Save Fast & Furious (But Made It Much Better)
Fast and Furious’ transformation into a blockbuster franchise is often attributed to Dwayne Johnson’s star power, and while The Rock didn’t necessarily save Fast and Furious as many believe, he did make the saga much better. From Fast Five to The Fate of the Furious, The Rock’s Hobbs was front and center in the Fast and Furious saga, although his screen time and significance to the plot alternated with each movie. The Rock did not return for F9 and is not expected to appear either in Fast X or Fast & Furious 11, which now helps put in perspective how much importance Dwayne Johnson really had to the Fast and Furious franchise.
While it may seem like Fast and Furious decided to add Dwayne Johnson into the mix as a way to elevate the franchise with a big action star, that is not necessarily the reason why Dwayne Johnson was cast as Hobbs in Fast Five – at least not according to Vin Diesel. During a Facebook live in 2017, Vin Diesel revealed that the Hobbs part had been originally written for Tommy Lee Jones, and the idea was to have an experienced, perhaps retired agent hunting down Dominic Toretto and his crew. However, after a fan commented how much it would be cool for Vin Diesel to work with The Rock, the Dominic Toretto actor/Fast and Furious producer decided to give the Hobbs part to Dwayne Johnson.
Related: 1 Death Fast & Furious Can Never Retcon (Because It Ruins Dom’s Story)
The decision to have The Rock play Hobbs in Fast Five instead of Tommy Lee Jones was quickly proved to be the right one. Tommy Lee Jones as a Fast and Furious villain would have been interesting to see, granted, but what The Rock brought to Fast Five is one of the reasons why the movie worked so well. From then on, it was safe to assume that The Rock would return for the following Fast and Furious movies, but Hobbs’ importance to the saga also ended up coinciding with Dwayne Johnson’s rise as a global movie star – which obviously had an impact in the Fast and Furious franchise. From Fast Five to The Fate of the Furious, all of which starred The Rock, Fast and Furious only saw its box office results increase. Therefore, a logical conclusion is that The Rock is the reason why Fast and Furious became so much more successful in the last decade, a perception that Dwayne Johnson never tried to deny. However, when taking into consideration how Fast Five’s heist-adventure was already designed to expand the franchise, plus how F9 and Hobbs & Shaw compare in terms of box office, the idea that The Rock single-handedly saved the Fast and Furious franchise does not hold up.
The Rock In Fast Five Changed Fast & Furious For The Better
While the claim that The Rock saved Fast and Furious can be discussed, it cannot be denied that Dwayne Johnson did change the Fast Saga for the better after Fast Five. Although a nostalgic feeling over the original Fast and Furious movies, especially over Tokyo Drift, can be used as a criticism of what the franchise has become, the more action-driven approach is what made the series into a box office giant. The Rock was obviously not the only one responsible for that change, but he represented on screen how the Fast and Furious movies were now aiming at something much bigger. Instead of generic crime bosses like Verone or Braga, Fast Five saw a much more visceral villain, Hobbs, who could go toe-to-toe with Dominic Toretto in a fight. At a time when action blockbuster was starting to become synonymous with superhero movies, the Fast and Furious franchise offered an important bit of fresh air in the genre. Therefore, having an action movie star like The Rock joining forces with other names like Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Michelle Rodriguez was an important message to the industry about how the Fast and Furious movies would compete with other established IPs for the audience’s interest.
Fast & Furious Helped The Rock Become An Action Star
The Rock helped Fast and Furious become a blockbuster action franchise, but the Fast and Furious movies also helped Dwayne Johson establish himself as one of the biggest movie stars in the world. Before Fast Five, which grossed $626 million at the box office, The Rock’s highest-grossing movie had been The Mummy Returns, which went on to make $435 million. After Fast Five, Dwayne Johnson’s box office results took a major leap, and as of 2022, The Rock’s movies have made more than five billion dollars combined. Despite Dwayne Johnson now being able to kickstart franchises like the Jumanji reboot with his star power alone, The Rock’s highest-grossing movies are still his last two Fast and Furious installments, Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious. In fact, Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious are the only billion-dollar movies in Dwayne Johnson’s career, although Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle came pretty close with a strong $961 million total.
Did The Rock Try To Steal The Fast & Furious Franchise?
Another common discourse around the Fast and Furious movies is whether The Rock tried to steal the franchise from Vin Diesel. That debate originated when The Rock’s Hobbs changed from a villain into a hero who was now front and center in the Fast and Furious films, but it ramped up once Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel’s feud started. During an interview in 2015 (via Collider), The Rock claimed that the Fast and Furious saga “can’t go on without Hobbs”, sparking a controversy that lasted years. Rumors and reports about a feud between The Rock and Vin Diesel started to pop up, and suddenly it was public knowledge that the two pillars of the Fast and Furious franchise were not getting along. The Fate of the Furious premiered amidst the high of Vin Diesel’s feud with The Rock, and thus Johnson’s role in the future of the franchise was no longer certain. That’s when Hobbs & Shaw, a spinoff centered around The Rock’s Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, was announced.
Related: Fast Five Threw Out The Franchise’s Original Plan For Roman
The announcement of a Fast and Furious spinoff produced by Dwayne Johnson only fueled the discourse that the star was trying to steal the spotlight, which culminated in Roman Pearce actor Tyrese promising he would not star in F9 if The Rock was in it. In hindsight, Hobbs & Shaw seems to have been The Rock’s way out of the main franchise after his feud with Vin Diesel, but in a saga so focused on the theme of family and team effort, a spinoff did come out as an odd decision. Still, with how successful the Fast and Furious franchise had become, it was only a matter of time before a spinoff like Hobbs & Shaw happened – The Rock involved or not.
F9 Proved Fast & Furious Doesn’t Need The Rock (But It’s Better With Him)
After all the controversy regarding Hobbs’ role in the Fast franchise, F9 premiered as the first Fast and Furious movie without Dwayne Johnson since Fast & Furious (2009). F9 claimed $726.2 at the box office, but it is important to notice that the movie was released already during the pandemic and never had the chance of a regular theatrical run. In that context, F9’s box office was impressive, and it proved that Fast and Furious does not need The Rock to be a blockbuster giant. As a comparison, Hobbs & Shaw made $760 million in 2018, which is a testimony to F9’s strong results amidst a pandemic. All of that considered, The Rock’s Hobbs elevated every Fast and Furious movie he was in, and the franchise is better with Dwayne Johnson. Unfortunately, it seems that Hobbs will not be part of the Fast and Furious finale.
Key Release Dates 
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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.
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 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 
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
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
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 
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
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 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
Fast & Furious 11 Release Delay & Filming Start Date Confirmed By Director
Vin Diesel Already Has His Perfect Fast & Furious Replacement Franchise With 51-Year-Old Remake
The Rock’s WWE Run Means Fast & Furious 11 Must Make 1 Major Hobbs Change
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