SinceFast and Furious 11is reportedly the final movie in this long-running action franchise, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the long-awaited sequel seems to be throwing everything at the wall for this explosive installment. The latest news inFast 11’s development comes from lead actor Vin Diesel, who has suggested thatBrian O’Conner will return in some formfor the series’ conclusion.
While this is very exciting news, the franchise has to be very careful about how they handleBrian’s return inFast 11. There are numerous risks, both narrative and personal, associated with reviving a character played by a now-deceased actor, butthe decision will also have negative consequencesfor other franchise names.
Brian’s Fast & Furious Return Is More Intriguing Than Hobbs Coming Back
Dwayne Johnson’s Return No Longer Seems That Exciting
For a while, it seemed like the return of Luke Hobbs would be a major selling point ofFast & Furious 11.The character has been absent from the main storyline for the past eight years, with thereal-life feud between Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnsontainting much of the series’ marketing. Hobbs’ return is a huge moment that deserves the necessary fanfare to come alongside it.
Since thepost-credits scene ofFast Xrevealed that Hobbs was back in the picture and had found himself in Dante Reyes’ sights, many viewers understandably assumed that his return would play a major role inFast 11. However, now that Diesel has teased Brian’s return,the concept of Hobbs coming back seems a lot less exciting.
While it’s definitely possible forFast 11to balance these two characters in a fulfilling way, this doesn’t seem particularly likely. Even following Paul Walker’s tragic death, Brian’s spirit has lingered over this franchise in a way that no other characters have managed to do. He’s such a special figure in this story, andhis return runs the risk of overshadowing Hobbs’.
Though it’s exciting that Brian is coming back in some form, it’s unfortunate that this will most likely come at Hobbs’ expense.Production onFast 11has seemingly stalled over the last few months, and this narrative conflict may be a key reason why; it’s hard to understand how the writers will balance these major character arcs without one clearly outshining the other.
Thankfully, there’s aHobbs spinoff in the worksthat should be able to give the character the exclusive sendoff that he deserves without Brian’s return detracting from his story. Likewise, there have been very few updates about this project over the past months, but this makes sense sinceFast 11is clearly the studio’s main priority right now.
