If you’re a fan of Dwayne Johnson — or as many of us know him, “The Rock” — then you’re in for a treat. During an interview with Collider, the big guy confirmed he would be returning for Fast and the Furious 8.
When asked if he’ll appear, Johnson didn’t reveal anything about the next film, like what he would be doing, but he did say without question:
“Of course. It can’t go on without Hobbs.”
Recently, there were rumors that Johnson’s character Hobbs would be given his own spinoff title. He was also asked what was going on with that during the interview and this is what he had to say:
“We all are interested in it. I just had a big conversation with the studio. So we’ll see. I still think for me personally we’ve created a little bit of space for him in 7 and the gauge is set for what the audience will want. That’s my take on it, you know, but a lot of other people have to have input.”
It’s interesting that they would choose Hobbs’ character as a focus for a spinoff, especially since he wasn’t one of the original crew. He didn’t actually show up until Fast Five. Furthermore, even though he does have a strong presence in the series, he’s always had a supporting role. There’s no guarantee a spinoff with Hobbs at the helm would do as well at the box office.
SPOILER WARNING: Don’t read the next section if you haven’t watched Furious 7 yet.
What Would a Spinoff Be About?
It’s likely a spinoff with Hobbs would follow the same formula as Fast Five and Furious 6. That is, Hobbs would be tasked with running a special squad, and their goal would be to hunt down some dastardly villain– or even a bunch of them.
This is just a crackpot theory here, so take it with a grain of salt. At the end of Furious 7 Deckard Shaw claims to Hobbs that no prison can hold him.
Again, it remains to be seen whether or not Johnson can draw a decent crowd, hence why we’re left to wonder if a spinoff is ever going to happen. Hobbs says he’s hoping Shaw escapes and that he would gladly chase him. Perhaps, this is foreshadowing? Could this be the central plot of the spinoff title?
The reason I feel this might be related to the spinoff is because when Furious 7 wrapped up shooting, Dwayne Johnson said Dom’s crew will probably be working with Mr. Nobody’s secret agency going forward instead of the DSS — of which Hobbs is a member of. That could be null and void since Johnson confirmed he’s coming back in Fast and Furious 8.
Hobbs’ interaction with the Fast and Furious crew is fantastic. It’s a shame we didn’t see more of him in Furious 7. What do you think we’ll see from him in Fast and Furious 8? What do you think we’d see from Hobbs in a spinoff?
