Posted by Jason Momoa will be the villain of Fast 10 & 11, but The Rock’s departure from the franchise sadly means his original plans probably won’t happen.
Jason Momoa boarding the Fast & Furious franchise is big news for the series,
but it unfortunately makes some previously intended plans with The Rock’s lawman Luke Hobbs likely impossible. The Fast Saga is set to conclude its mainline series with its upcoming two-part finale, Fast 10 and Fast 11. The longevity of the series is something few action movie franchises have ever achieved. Even more so is the dramatic re-invention that the series has undertaken.
2011’s Fast Five was where that transition began, with the entry of Dwayne Johnson’s DSS Agent Luke Hobbs being a major catalyst for change. Hobbs would return for the next three installments of the Fast & Furious series before Johnson moved into the spin-off Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. Johnson has since repeatedly emphasized his retirement from the core Fast & Furious movies, attributing the decision to his feud with franchise mainstay Vin Diesel.
The news of Jason Momoa joining the Fast & Furious series has been well-received, with Momoa to portray the villain of the two-film finale. Despite Momoa joining Fast 10 & 11 exciting many moviegoers, it also leaves the original idea for his entry into the franchise essentially unworkable. Here’s how Jason Momoa almost joined the Fast & Furious series, and why The Rock’s departure leaves that idea on ice.
The Rock Originally Wanted Jason Momoa In Hobbs & Shaw
Jason Momoa’s entry into the Fast Saga could have happened several years earlier had he appeared in Hobbs & Shaw. Dwayne Johnson himself wanted to bring Momoa aboard the spin-off, with Momoa also eager to join. Momoa would have played the brother of Luke Hobbs, and presumably been a major player in the Samoa-set third act of the film. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts prevented Momoa from appearing in Hobbs & Shaw.
Momoa specifically playing the villain of Fast 10 and Fast 11 would likely rule out his originally conceived role as Hobbs’ brother. The Rock had publicly expressed enthusiasm for Momoa joining Hobbs & Shaw 2, replying “Next Hobbs movie for sure” to a fan on Instagram. However, Momoa joining the main Fast & Furious series renders any chance of that virtually impossible. Moreover, even if Momoa’s planned role in Hobbs & Shaw were to be re-invented to accommodate him as an antagonist, Johnson’s departure from the main franchise is the real roadblock. Owing to Johnson’s aforementioned feud with Vin Diesel, he’s made it as clear as can be that he has no plans to return to the central Fast & Furious series. Momoa is great casting for the Fast Saga, but his specific role creates an unfortunate monkey’s paw situation in this case.
Why Momoa & The Rock Teaming Up In Fast & Furious Would Have Been Perfect
Aside from appearing as Hobbs’ brother, little is known about exactly what Momoa’s role in Hobbs & Shaw would’ve been. Hobbs was on somewhat rocky terms with his family upon his return to Samoa, even taking a punch from his brother Jonah (Cliff Curtis). This could suggest there may have been some lingering animosity between Hobbs and Momoa’s character, too. That said, it likely would’ve been resolved quickly to enable them to fight alongside each other.
As the brother of one of the franchise’s core heroes, Momoa would be a similarly powerful presence as Johnson’s Hobbs on-screen, in a literal as well as metaphorical sense. Standing at 6’5, Momoa would be virtually the only Fast & Furious cast member of a similar height and build as The Rock. The two side-by-side in a fight scene like on Hobbs & Shaw‘s climax could’ve made for a very strong action movie duo. With Momoa’s becoming a big star through his portrayal of Aquaman, there could even have been the possibility of him returning later on. Unfortunately, none of that can come to pass with Momoa’s new role as the villain of Fast 10 and 11.
Why Jason Momoa Is Still A Great Villain For Fast & Furious 10
While plans for Momoa to appear alongside The Rock in Hobbs & Shaw have effectively been canceled, Momoa joining the main series has its own strong points. Even before Momoa broke out as Aquaman, he had cultivated an image as a rugged warrior in numerous different roles, notably as Khal Drogo on Game of Thrones. Momoa also headlined 2011’s Conan the Barbarian reboot, and handled the film’s stunts and sword battles admirably.
Momoa’s always brought a strong athleticism to the numerous action-heavy roles he’s tackled, which suggests what kind of villain he will be. While Hobbs & Shaw‘s Brixton Lore was the most hands-on main villain of the franchise (outside of henchmen like Joe Taslim and Tony Jaa), Momoa could be the first one to truly match him in this respect. Playing the villain of Fast 10 & 11 will also let Momoa go against type, channeling the loner charm he’s brought to Khal Drogo, Conan, and Aquaman to an antagonistic role.
Will Jason Momoa & The Rock Ever Meet In The DCEU?
While audiences will most likely have to write off Momoa and Johnson as an on-screen duo or adversaries in the finale of Fast Saga, the DCEU is a different story. Momoa has been associated with Arthur Curry since his cameo in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice before cementing himself in the role in Aquaman (the 2017 Justice League in-between having famously gotten a do-over with 2021’s Zack Snyder’s Justice League.) Meanwhile, Johnson will make his foray into superhero movies in 2022, first with the animated movie DC’s League of Super Pets, and later with July’s Black Adam.
To call Black Adam Johnson’s pet project would be an understatement, with development on the movie stretching back to 2008. Johnson’s mantra with Black Adam has long been “the hierarchy of power in the DC Universe is about to change”, while his larger goal has been to pit Adam against Henry Cavill’s Superman. Should Black Adam lead to that happening after its release this summer, it opens the possibility of Adam crossing paths with Arthur Curry, as well.
Barring a massive unexpected development, The Rock’s Fast & Furious movie future entirely lies in Hobbs & Shaw 2. Some comments Johnson has made have even described the film in such a way that makes it sound like a send-off for Hobbs. If that’s the case, that only offers more evidence that a Johnson-Momoa team-up in the Fast & Furious series will likely never be. While that’s unfortunate, Momoa will still bring a lot as the villain of Fast 10 & Fast 11. Meanwhile Black Adam might see he and Johnson face-off eventually with Adam being a force to be reckoned with.