Dwayne Johnson's appearance in Fast X's post-credits scene may have teased the possibility of a Hobbs & Shaw sequel being made.
The first Hobbs & Shaw movie was released in 2019, debuting with a stellar box office run ($760 million worldwide) and positive reception from fans and critics.
The movie revolved around the unusual team-up between Johnson's Hobbs and Jason Statham's Shaw against Idris Elba's cybernetically enhanced super-terrorist.
Fast X's Post-Credits Scene Sets Up Hobbs & Shaw 2's Story
While everyone thought that The Rock would never return to the franchise due to his off-screen spat with Vin Diesel, Fast X's post-credits scene featured the return of Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs.
Fast X director Louis Leterrier explained how he manufactured Johnson's return in the movie, confirming that the WWE Legend watched the movie first and loved it then they started talking:
"And then I had this idea and I presented it to the producers and the studio. And then we reached out to Dwayne and his team and said, 'Just come and watch the movie. You have to love the movie first.' So he came to see the movie and really loved it, and then we started talking."
In Fast X's post-credits scene, it was revealed that Jason Momoa's Dante Reyes is also hunting down Hobbs since he is the one who pulled the trigger to kill his dad, Hernan, in Fast Five.
In the same movie, Deckard Shaw reunited with Han Lue as they took out the guards of The Agency side by side. However, when Ramsey discovered that Dante is pursuing all of Dom's allies, she told Shaw that his mother, Magdalene, is part of the list.
Dante's threat against Hobbs and the fact that Shaw went on his own mission to save his mother against the same enemy is the perfect set-up for Hobbs & Shaw 2.
There's a chance that Hobbs and Shaw will reunite at a crossroads during Dante's attack on each of them, forcing them to work together once again.
Hobbs & Shaw 2 Updates: Is It Happening?
The short answer is yes. However, there are pieces that need to fit first in the Hobbs & Shaw 2 puzzle.
In November 2019, Hobbs & Shaw producer Hiram Garcia told Comicbook.com that they were "having conversations" with Universal Studios about a potential sequel, noting that the studio was "extremely happy" with its performance.
Garcia then reiterated to The Wrap in November 2021 that Hobbs & Shaw 2 was in "active development," saying that they are "writing the story" of the sequel:
“We never like to announce anything like that prematurely... but we are writing the story.”
The producer also pointed out in the interview that they have a "very ambitious vision" for Hobbs & Shaw 2, but it will all depend on Johnson's availability of when the sequel will start filming:
“We have some huge, fun ideas of what we want to do with it.”
However, in December 2022, co-producer Kelly McCormick confirmed in an interview with Comicbook.com that there were still "no conversations" about Hobbs & Shaw 2. It's possible that McCormick was simply playing coy with the matter or she is totally not aware that a sequel has already received the green light.
Johnson has been a busy man in the past few years, with him starring in big movies like Red Notice, Black Adam, and Jungle Cruise.
In September 2022, though, Johnson spoke with CinemaBlend to acknowledge his busy schedule, and he mentioned that a project will get priority if it has the "Moses Effect," meaning that it has to have the ability to push all the other projects to the side:
"So I'm at a point in my career now, I think you guys will appreciate, this is, we've internally for us at Seven Bucks, if a project comes my way, it must have what we call now, the Moses Effect. And the Moses Effect, meaning it must have the ability to push all the other projects to the side. And it has to be like, like that's how good it is."
This would mean that Hobbs & Shaw 2 needs to be that good in order for it prioritized. Thankfully, Johnson confirmed that he already pitched an incredible idea for Hobbs' direction in the sequel, thus cementing his passion for the project:
"So, when it comes to Hobbs and Shaw, which we loved and loved making that movie, there's an idea that I had that I called [Universal Pictures Chairwoman] Donna Langley, called our writer, Chris Morgan, our producer Hiram Garcia. And I said, 'I have this idea and this direction for Hobbs.' And I pitched it and it would be, without giving it away, they all loved it. But it would be the antithesis of what ‘Fast and Furious‘ movies generally are in that they continue to go on and go on and go on. In this case I wanted to, and I still want to do, the quintessential Hobbs movie. That again, without giving it away, that you watch a man walk off into the sunset."
Similar to Johnson, Statham also has a busy schedule. This year, the actor will be involved in a heavy marketing push for Meg 2: The Trench while also promoting The Expendables 4. In addition, Statham will also headline David Ayer's Beekeeper, which could potentially eye a 2024 premiere.
What is Hobbs & Shaw 2's Release Date?
Principal photography for the first Hobbs & Shaw movie began in September 2018 before wrapping up in January 2019. The movie was then released in August 2019.
If Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham's respective schedules clear up in 2024, then it's possible that filming will commence in late 2024 or early 2025. If that happens, then Hobbs & Shaw 2 could release in late 2025 or early 2026 at the latest.
Given that Fast 11 is confirmed to release in 2025, Hobbs & Shaw 2 could even set up the events of that movie if it will be released in the same year. If not, then it could lay the groundwork for Fast 12.
Fast X is now playing in theaters worldwide.
