At this rate, The Fast and the Furious franchise is never going to run out of gas. Audiences can't seem to get enough of the series' perfect mix of outlandishly entertaining races and found family warmth. Now Deadline reports, The Fate of the Furious may lead to a spinoff featuring Dwayne Johnson's Hobbs and Jason Statham's Shaw — and if it happens, the spinoff will be the perfect expansion to the universe of fast cars and crazy plot twists.
Both Hobbs and Shaw started as outsiders to Dominic's gang, making them ideal candidates to split off into their own series. Not only have they both been villains of sorts, Hobbs is responsible for putting Shaw in jail. They are the ultimate odd couple, and fans have taken note of the chemistry that exists between Johnson and Statham.
The Fate of the Furious was the eighth film in the franchise, and it pulled in major money for Universal. As a result, the studio is looking for ways to keep the series fresh even as they continue making sequels featuring the original crew, and it doesn't get much fresher than teaming up Hobbs and Shaw for their own mission.
Right now, the idea is in its earliest stages, so there's no plot information available just yet. However, given Hobbs time as a Diplomatic Service Security agent and Shaw's past as an assassin, they represent two sides of the law, and the right pair to build a solid caper film around.
As long as there is an appetite for these addictive popcorn movies, Universal should definitely explore putting two of the franchise' biggest stars in a movie together and setting them loose. At this point, Dom and his family are a cozy bunch whose loyalty to each other is never questioned in a meaningful way. Their adversaries are always outside forces, like Charlize Theron's Cipher.
Why not mix things up by pairing two men who don't trust each other together? The Fast and the Furious has survived this long by constantly upping the audaciousness of its plot, and to keep going, the franchise needs to continue to adapt — and yes, that means letting Dom sit at least one story out.
An agent and an assassin with an affinity for racing cars can get into all kinds of trouble, and I suspect fans would eat up a spinoff starring fan faves Hobbs and Shaw. Come on, Universal, the world needs another Nos-fueled hit.
