Dwayne 'the Rock' Johnson is at the helm of yet another new film as part of the Fast & Furious franchise, however this time, the actor won't be making the mistake he made with Hobbs and Shaw. Fast & Furious is a movie franchise with a current total of 10 principal films and one spinoff movie. The films have included a variety of cast including Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, and Michelle Rodriguez, however they all share common themes of street racing and family.

In 2019, the Fast & Furious franchise came out with their first spinoff film, Hobbs & Shaw. The movie begins after 2017's The Fate of the Furious and follows Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobb and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw as they team up with Shaw's sister to take down a cyborg terrorist. While the film garnered average reviews and $760 million dollars at the box office, resulting in an $84 million profit, it didn't necessarily stick with Fast & Furious fans. It didn't seem necessary for the rest of the Fast & Furious franchise, and furthermore, seemed like a way for the Rock to start his own franchise within the franchise.

The Rock's New Spinoff Will Be Essential To The Fast Saga (Unlike Hobbs & Shaw)

Dwayne The Rock Johnson as Luke Hobbs in front of an orange background in Fast X credits scene

On the other hand, the Rock's newest Fast & Furious movie will fix Hobbs and Shaw's mistake by being integral to the rest of the franchise. Notably, the film will include Dwayne Johnson as Hobbs and Jason Mamoa as Dante Reyes. From what little is known so far, it seems that the film will follow the duo's rivalry, which was already teased in the post-credits scene of Fast X. Additionally, the film will bridge the gap between the most recently released Fast X and the Fast 11, which is supposed to hit theaters in April 2025.

Unlike Hobbs and Shaw, this latest Fast & Furious spinoff is decidedly important to the rest of the franchise. While Hobbs and Shaw acted more as its own independent film based in the Fast & Furious world, the new movie is a bridge between the main Fast & Furious films. In a sense, the new film is pivotal for the rest of the series, which is exactly what the Rock needs. Hopefully, by doing this, the Rock's new spinoff will perform better than Hobbs and Shaw and be seen as vital as a regular Fast & Furious film.

The Rock's New Fast & Furious Movie Kills Hobbs & Shaw 2 (But That's Okay)

Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham as Hobbs and Shaw pointing at each other in Hobbs and Shaw

Now that the Rock's new Fast & Furious spinoff has been confirmed, it seems unlikely that a Hobbs and Shaw sequel will happen. While this is disappointing in some respects, the choice to move to a new spinoff seems like the right decision for both Dwayne Johnson and the franchise. Based on Hobbs and Shaw's lukewarm performance, Hobbs and Shaw 2 likely could have flopped, whereas the new spinoff has a better chance of succeeding because of its fresh plot. Furthermore, the new spinoff will maintain anticipation for Fast 11 by keeping the plot moving rather than acting as an aside.

Although Dwayne Johnson made a questionable move in 2019 by creating Hobbs and Shaw, his latest choice to pursue a new spinoff seems beneficial. Ideally, this new film will garner an audience with its big name stars, keep the hype for Fast 11's release alive, and overall increase box office success for the Fast & Furious franchise. Only time will tell whether the Rock's decision will be a financial win, or yet another fail.