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5 Ways Deckard Shaw Redeemed Himself (& 5 Why He’s Still A Villain)

The Fast & Furious movies have become definitive action flicks that have defined the careers of its leading stars. All of the entries featuring Jason Statham are considered among his best, with the actor even receiving his own spin-off in Hobbs & Shaw due to the popularity of his character, Deckard Shaw.

RELATED: 10 Best Video Games Like Fast & Furious, Ranked By Metacritic
Having started out as the villain in Furious 7, Shaw’s clash against Dominic Toretto and his crew gradually turned into allegiance as he teamed with them to take on Cipher. Following this, many have argued that Shaw has displayed redemptive qualities that absolve him of his sins, although there are still many points that do qualify him to still be considered a villain.

Redeemed: He Only Became Bad For The Sake Of Avenging His Brother

Deckard Shaw enters the Dubai hotel

Had Dom never fought with Owen Shaw, Deckard wouldn’t have had a problem with him. In fact, he hasn’t been shown engaging in villainous activities since then and hasn’t been stated to have been evil prior to that as well.
It was due to the blind vengeance that consumed him that Deckard became a villain, as his love for his younger brother overcame his moralities. Although he did a lot of bad, his heart was ultimately out to seek justice for his sibling and Shaw didn’t go looking to claim lives.

Villain: Making Things Personal With The Protagonists

Hobbs and Shaw have a staredown

Before he was partially reformed in the Hobbs & Shaw spin-off, Shaw villainously went after the family of Dominic Toretto. Apart from taking down Han, Shaw also targeted Letty and Mia as they were close to Dom. However, this was a petty move since they weren’t the ones he had beef with.
Since it was Dom whom Shaw wanted vengeance from, it would have been understandable if he’d only pursued him. Shaw’s move on making things personally instantly made him out to be the villain as he had no moral compunctions with harming Dom’s family.

Redeemed: His Refusal To Join Cipher

Deckard Shaw during the prison breakout

The Fate of the Furious became one of Jason’s Statham’s highest-grossing movies and also brought him the opportunity to turn Shaw away from being a villain. Here, it was revealed that Owen Shaw was hired by Cipher, whose original choice was Deckard.
This meant that Deckard had turned Cipher down as he wasn’t interested in villainy as his brother had been. It also proved that he couldn’t be swayed into becoming a bad guy and had a level of morality in this area. His role in the fight against Cipher in the eighth movie cemented this aspect further.

Villain: He Never Apologized For “Killing” Han

Han and Deckard Shaw from Fast & Furious.

As it turned out in F9, Han was alive the whole time, but this was the doing of Mr. Nobody and not Shaw. The latter had no idea that Han was still alive and had fully intended on killing him as part of his bid for revenge against Dom.
RELATED: 10 Actors Who Would Be Perfect As The Next Villain in Fast & Furious
What’s more, even after Shaw was welcomed by Dom into his group of allies, he didn’t bring up the fact that he killed one of Dom’s best friends. An apology would have gone a long way in confirming that Shaw regretted this act, but he had no time to give where acts of contrition were concerned.

Redeemed: His Loyalty To Hobbs

Hobbs and Shaw walk while holding a hammer and a bat, respectively

Despite all the bickering Hobbs and Shaw engaged in their film, they had each other’s backs through and through. It’s an even bigger deal in Shaw’s case as he was the one who had originally attempted to kill Hobbs in Furious 7.
In the spin-off, however, Shaw proved he had developed a loyalty toward Hobbs and intended to follow through with it. To this end, he stuck by Hobbs throughout the story where his life was on the line, and was willing to die while defending Hobbs’ life.

Villain: He Hypocritically Overlooked His Brother’s Villainy

Deckard Shaw looks at Owen in the hospital

Deckard’s antagonism of Dom came from his belief that the latter had hurt his brother, and therefore, he went all around the globe in an attempt to kill Dom and his crew. However, the truth is that all of this was Owen’s own fault.
Owen was the one who had caused the death of Giselle and clashed against Dom in Fast & Furious 6, all while killing innocents as part of collateral damage. Deckard was well aware of this but chose to overlook his brother’s own villainy and pinned the blame on Dom.

Redeemed: Saving The World

Hobbs and Shaw are held captive

The most major difference between the original Fast & Furious movies and the reboot is how the new entries have global consequences. For example, Hobbs & Shaw had the pair take on Idris Elba’s Brixton Lore in order to prevent a deadly virus from being exposed.
To this end, Shaw went out of his way to fight for the survival of people around the Earth, as the release of this virus would have plunged the world into chaos. Shaw never got any recognition for this, nor did he seek it out, proving he did it for the betterment of the people rather than any personal benefit.

Villain: His Abrasive Attitude

Deckard Shaw steps out of his car

There hasn’t been any change in attitude where Shaw is concerned, which gives the heavy implication that he just hasn’t felt the weight of his actions. In comparison, Dom has become a different person from his criminal ways, looking to do right and stick by a moral code.
RELATED: The Rock’s 10 Best Movies (So Far), According To IMDb
Shaw has remained largely the same, in that he takes pride in doling out pain and fully intends to continue being this way. He was very content in threatening Hobbs in The Fate of the Furious, and had things gone as he wanted, Shaw would have gladly killed Hobbs.

Redeemed: His Act Of Saving Dom’s Son

Dominic Toretto's son wears headphones

There’s no escaping the fact that Dom owes Shaw big time for his act of saving his son’s life. Deckard put his own life on the line to protect the child, who was held by Cipher and her goons. Moreover, Deckard treated the baby with extra care and ensured he never got a scratch on him.
This also showed Shaw’s softer side, as he even took the time to comfort the baby so that he wouldn’t realize they were in the middle of a conflict. By the ending of The Fate of the Furious, Dom was overjoyed to be reunited with his son, all thanks to Shaw’s efforts.

Villain: For All The Innocent People He Killed

Deckard Shaaw behind the wheel of a car in Fate of the Furious

Whatever Shaw might do in the future, and whatever he’s done so far to redeem himself, he can’t do anything to make up for all the lives he’s taken. In fact, the first two scenes he had in the series established him as a killing machine, as he started off with taking Han’s life and then engaged in the hospital massacre.
During Furious 7, Shaw repeatedly engaged Dom and his crew in battles that caused civilian casualties, but he didn’t care who died in his bid for revenge. All in all, he has a lot of blood on his hands and he will always be the villain for the people whose lives he took away.
NEXT: 10 Behind The Scenes Facts About Tokyo Drift

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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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