TheFast & Furiousfranchise just recently releasedFast X, and it is billed as the beginning of the end for the franchise, reuniting many plot threads and characters. Yet, in the lead-up, one notable character was missing. Luke Hobbs, who was played byDwayne “The Rock” Johnsonand debuted in the franchise in 2011’sFast Five, going on to reprise the role in the sixth, seventh, and eighth films. The character has since branched out to lead his own spinoff with The Rock, co-starring with Jason Statham inHobbs & Shaw.
Updated June 25, 2025: This article has been updated with more news following the release of Fast X as well as the news of a new Dwayne JohnsonFast & Furioussolo movie.
Johnson did not appear inF9, and this was largely due to the friction between the actor andVin Dieselon theFast & Furioussets. Ultimately, Dwayne Johnson decided that he didn’t want to deal with it again and publicly announced he wouldn’t return for the franchise. Diesel later posted to Instagram a message pleading for Johnson to return inFast X&F11.“The world awaits the finale ofFast 10,” Diesel wrote in his original Instagram post. “As you know, my children refer to you as Uncle Dwayne in my house. There is not a holiday that goes by that they and you don’t send well wishes… but the time has come. Legacy awaits. I told you years ago that I was going to fulfill my promise to Pablo. I swore that we would reach and manifest the bestFastin the finale that is 10!”
In an interview withCNN, The Rock reiterated that there was “no chance” he would come back, and the Instagram post only made things worse.
“I told [Diesel] directly that I would not be returning to the franchise. I was firm yet cordial with my words and said that I would always be supportive of the cast and always root for the franchise to be successful, but that there was no chance I would return. Vin’s recent public post was an example of his manipulation. I didn’t like that he brought up his children in the post, as well as Paul Walker’s death. Leave them out of it. We had spoken months ago about this and came to a clear understanding.”
The Rock also suggests that his issues were only with Diesel, and he lends his support to the rest of the cast and crew involved in theFast & Furiousfranchise. He hints that he’d rather have had all of these problems with Diesel and stay quiet, but regardless, he says he’s rooting for what will be the last installments of the main series to do well anyway.
“My goal all along was to end my amazing journey with this incredible franchise with gratitude and grace. It’s unfortunate that this public dialogue has muddied the waters. Regardless, I’m confident in the Fast universe and its ability to consistently deliver for the audience… I truly wish my former co-stars and crew members the best of luck and success in the next chapter.”
Yet, despite Dwayne Johnson insisting he would not return to the franchise, that has since changed. Dwayne Johnson reprised his role as Luke Hobbs in themid-credit scene forFast X. The scene seemed to imply that Hobbs will be a major character in the upcomingFast & The Furious 11. It is unclear if this was always the plan and if the post from Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel was an old-school wrestling tactic to build up buzz for the movie or if it was genuine on both their parts, but Johnson eventually changed his mind.
Dwayne Johnson Is Back, But Not For Fast & Furious 11
On August 02, 2025, it was announced that Dwayne Johnson would be returning to theFast & Furiousfranchise, but not inFast & Furious 11, as the mid-credit scene toFast Ximplied. Johnson is set to star in an untitledFast & Furiousproject and will feature a script by Chris Morgan, who is also returning to the franchise after having sat outF9andFast X. Johnson is signed on as a producer, but the film notably will not beHobbs & Shaw 2but instead acting as a bridge movie betweenFast XandFast & Furious 11. This might be what Vin Diesel was implying when he said that they wereconsidering makingFast Xpart of a trilogy.
Why Did The Dwayne Johnson Change His Mind
There are multiple indicators that suggest Dwayne Johnson was set on not returning to the franchise but has returned for business reasons. Originally Dwayne Johnson seemed to have all of his chips bet onBlack Adam, the Warner Bros. DC movie that was supposed to be a new kick-off for the DCEU. It was setting up a fight with Superman in a sequel as well asmultiple Justice Society spin-offs.
However,Black Adamunderperformed at the box office, and it also may haveimpacted the box office ofShazam! Fury of the Gods. Shortly after the release ofBlack Adam, James Gunn, and Peter Safran became new heads of the DC Studios and plan to relaunch the DCEU as the DCU. Black Adam had no placement in their first set of plans, indicating that Dwayne Jonhson’s time as the character was over.
With no word on when the nextJumanjimovie will be arriving in theaters and thelive-actionMoanaremakejust being announced, Dwayne Johnson is in need of a franchise, and his schedule just became a lot more open. SinceFast XandFast & Furious 11were no longer filming back to back, it was easy to include Luke Hobbs in the mid-credit scene. Now Johnson can return to the franchise and be part of the main story without having to share a scene with Vin Diesel. It appears there is still plenty of bad blood between the two.
