After Dwayne Johnson’s surprise return as Luke Hobbs in Fast X, the character needs to go back to his darker, more morally gray roots in Fast & Furious 11. Since breaking off to appear in his own spin-off, Hobbs has become a safer, more generic character, losing his original complexity and edge.
When Hobbs was first introduced in Fast Five, he was a ruthless antagonist who was willing to do whatever it took to bring Dom Toretto and his crew to justice. Over the course of the next two films, he gradually grew to respect Dom’s crew and became a reliable ally, but still maintained his tough, no-nonsense persona.
However, in Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, and Hobbs & Shaw, Hobbs’ character was rewritten to be a more generic, heroic character, losing his original nuance and complexity. He became a one-dimensional, action-hero type, more focused on his own brand and image than on his character’s development.
Now that Dante Reyes, a ruthless and vengeful villain, is coming after Hobbs, it’s time for the classic, reckless Hobbs to make a comeback. Hobbs needs to ditch his safe on-screen persona and go back to his darker, more morally gray roots in order to take down Dante and save Dom’s crew.
The change in Hobbs’ characterization is also reflective of a larger issue with Dwayne Johnson’s career, where he has become more focused on maintaining his brand and image rather than taking on complex, nuanced characters. If Fast & Furious 11 is to provide a satisfying conclusion to the franchise, it needs to bring back the real Luke Hobbs, not the generic The Rock character he’s become.