How The Rock Changed Fast & Furious Movies For The Better

Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson was a latecomer to the Fast & Furious franchise, but it’s no secret that his presence greatly improved the film series. The former professional wrestler made his debut in 2011’s Fast Five as federal law enforcement agent Luke Hobbs. Johnson then reprised his role for three more installments before starring in the 2019 spinoff, Hobbs & Shaw, alongside Jason Statham.

When the Fast & Furious franchise launched, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker served as the primary characters in their roles as Dominic Toretto and Brian O’Conner, respectively. Johnson didn’t join the cast until the fifth movie in the series, but his role breathed new life into the franchise. Hobbs was initially a Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) agent and skilled bounty hunter. He started as an enemy of Dom, Brian, and their crew until all parties involved realized they worked better together. In time, Hobbs retired as a federal agent, but that didn’t put an end to the global missions.

Before Johnson was cast in Fast Five, he had about a decade’s worth of acting credits under his belt. Johnson left his life as The Rock behind to pursue acting full-time. The actor headlined movies like The Scorpion King, Walking Tall, Gridiron Gang, and The Game Plan, proving himself as an effective leading star. Johnson has since gone on to become one of the highest-grossing box office actors of all-time, and a lot of that success is due to his time playing Hobbs in Fast & Furious.

Fast & Furious Movies Were Very Different Before The Rock

When the Fast & Furious franchise launched, the movies were strictly focused on the culture of street racing. Brian infiltrated Dom’s group by joining the local racing scene in order to investigate recent hijackings. In time, Brian learned that Dom’s crew used their driving skills for illicit activities. Rather than turn them in, Brian questioned his own morality. By the end of The Fast and the Furious, Brian let Dom go before fleeing to Miami. The world of street racing rubbed off on him but he still didn’t fully let go of his career as a federal agent.

The third film of the franchise, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, reverted back to full-fledged racing or in the movie’s case – drifting. The first handful of installments were entertaining but they didn’t do much to stand out. It wasn’t until 2009’s Fast & Furious did the saga start to broaden the scope. Brian, now an FBI agent, reunited with Dom to take down a Mexican drug lord named Arturo Braga. Racing and car stunts played a key role in the film but the franchise began diving into deeper territory. Fast Five truly transformed The Fast Saga from a street racing series to a full-blown action franchise, and Johnson’s involvement had a lot to do with that.

The Rock Wasn’t Originally Envisioned For Fast 5

At the end of Fast & Furious, Brian resigned from the FBI and helped free Dom from the prison bus. Along with Dom’s sister, Mia, who happened to be Brian’s love interest, the trio was on the run from authorities before winding up in Rio de Janeiro. Director Justin Lin wanted Fast Five to focus on freedom and family. Those two aspects were threatened by not only Hernan Reyes, yet another dangerous drug lord, but also DSS agent, Luke Hobbs. When developing the character, Hobbs was envisioned much differently.

The original plan was for Hobbs to be a hardened older man, presumably skilled as a federal agent. The crew had someone like Tommy Lee Jones in mind when developing the role of the antagonistic new figure. Fans then took to Diesel’s Facebook page, requesting that Johnson be cast in a future part so the pair could work on a film together. Diesel and Lin decided to redesign the Hobbs character, and due to Johnson’s growing history with Universal Pictures, along with missing out on the role of Jack Reacher, the rest was history.

The Rock Completely Changed What Fast & Furious Is

Fast Five marked the franchise’s transition from street racing to global heists. Instead of the racing culture and run-ins with drug kingpins, the movies involved insane stunts, gunfights, and missions with millions of dollars on the line. Johnson’s presence as Hobbs also added a governmental element while acting as a lingering threat to Dom’s crew. With Hobbs and his team involved, the stakes became much higher.

Johnson’s penchant to stunt-heavy work also helped the Fast & Furious franchise transform. Not only did it give the series get an opportunity to put Diesel and Johnson in a big-body brawl, but it also propelled unreal action sequences, car chases, and risky rescues. Universal was onboard with the changes, believing that the street racing but a ceiling on the interest in the franchise. By changing to an action franchise with the addition of a notable figure like Johnson, the studio hoped to attract new segments of moviegoers, and the plan worked.

How The Rock Made Fast & Furious Better (& More Successful)

In terms of critical response, Fast Five was the best-rated installment up to that point. Much of that positivity stemmed from Johnson’s performance as Hobbs, for there was a common belief that Johnson revitalized the Fast & Furious franchise by adding a new dynamic. Hobbs may have started out as an antagonist, but he grew into one of the crew’s most loyal allies. Despite the reported feud between Diesel and Johnson, the movies are better when their characters are working together.

It’s no secret that many of the action sequences and subplots are silly, especially in the most recent installments. That said, the quality of the films has greatly increased even if the storylines have been far from realistic. Ever since Johnson joined, the movies have also been much more entertaining. He has added another comedic layer to the series while also becoming one of the most fun characters to watch.

Based on the box office dominance in recent years, it’s no question why Universal decided to give Johnson and his character a spinoff. As one of the biggest movie stars in the world, the Fast & Furious franchise already had an asset on their hands, becoming a perfect candidate to branch off with his own focus. For now, it’s unclear if Hobbs will return before The Fast Saga comes to an end with the untitled tenth film, but based on the success that surrounds the actor, he will probably be back.

About The Author

Kara Hedash
(1751 Articles Published)

Kara Hedash is a features editor and writer for Screen Rant. From time to time, she dives into the world’s most popular franchises but Kara primarily focuses on evergreen topics. The fact that she gets to write about The Office regularly is like a dream come true. Before joining Screen Rant, Kara served as a contributor for Movie Pilot and had work published on The Mary Sue and Reel Honey. After graduating college, writing began as a part-time hobby for Kara but it quickly turned into a career. She loves binging a new series and watching movies ranging from Hollywood blockbusters to hidden indie gems. She also has a soft spot for horror ever since she started watching it at too young of an age. Her favorite Avenger is Thor and her favorite Disney princess is Leia Organa. When Kara’s not busy writing, you can find her doing yoga or hanging out with Gritty.

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