There are various reasons why Hobbs & Shaw 2 hasn't been released yet. With 10 big-screen installments, one spinoff, one animated series, and two short films under its belt, the where the Fast and Furious franchise could have ended perfectly, Dominic Toretto and his family keep finding creative ways to keep going. On the other hand, the Hobbs & Shaw spinoff series appears to have stagnated after only one movie.
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw signaled a big step towards the consolidation of a Fast & Furious cinematic universe. Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, two of the franchise's many charismatic characters, are a recipe for box office success, and fortunately for the spinoff, they lived up to the expectations. But after Hobbs & Shaw's release, the Fast Saga moved on with end of the main franchise with Fast and Furious 11, all without solid progress on Hobbs & Shaw 2.
To the delight of many Fast & Furious fans, Hobbs & Shaw 2 hasn't been canceled. In fact, the cast and crew seem ready to dive in. However, there are various factors keeping the project behind. From Johnson's availability thanks to other projects to much-publicized conflict with the rest of the Fast & Furious family, Hobbs & Shaw has a more troubled background than its commercial success suggests. However, despite these difficulties, hope is not lost for the follow-up.
Hobbs & Shaw 2's Delays Explained
Up until April 2020, series producer Hiram Garcia and star Dwayne Johnson provided some main Fast & Furious movies.
In November 2021, Dwayne Johnson shared with Sirius XM's the DCEU's Black Adam, as well as development on projects like the Red One. Considering the role Dwayne Johnson often plays in the creative process and the exhaustive promotion period each project requires, it's easy to see why The Rock hasn't had time to focus on Hobbs & Shaw 2.
Why The Rock Isn't In Fast X
What's for certain is that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson won't reprise his role as Luke Hobbs in the main installments of the Fast Saga. While shooting Roman Pearce actor Tyrese Gibson added to the dispute with a more direct critique towards Johnson. Despite Luke Hobbs' popularity since his introduction in Fast Five, Dwayne Johnson has decided to skip the series' final three movies due to his personal differences with the cast. But as Johnson himself has clarified, his feud with his Fast & Furious co-stars thankfully won't interfere with a Hobbs & Shaw sequel.
Will Hobbs & Shaw Release After The Fast Saga Ends?
Taking into the current direction of the franchise, Universal will likely focus on concluding the Fast Saga with Fast X and Fast & Furious 11. Fast X is set to release on May 2023, and Fast & Furious 11 will follow shortly afterward, given that both movies are begins filmed back-to-back. So, once the main Fast Saga ends, it would be ideal to keep the franchise alive with spinoffs, starting with the sequel to Hobbs & Shaw 2 and the promised female-led Fast & Furious spinoff. New original Fast & Furious ideas could shift attention to unexplored corners of the franchise — perhaps a Shaw family spinoff could follow Deckard Shaw's story without having to depend on Dwayne Johnson's tight schedule. Luckily, there's still a long wait ahead for Hobbs & Shaw 2, but the spinoff sequel is still on track.
