Jason Momoa’s entry into the Fast Saga could have happened several years earlier had he appeared in Hobbs & Shaw. Dwayne Johnson himself wanted to bring Momoa aboard the spin-off, with Momoa also eager to join. Momoa would have played the brother of Luke Hobbs, and presumably been a major player in the Samoa-set third act of the film. Unfortunately, scheduling conflicts prevented Momoa from appearing in Hobbs & Shaw.
Momoa specifically playing the villain of Fast 10 and Fast 11 would likely rule out his originally conceived role as Hobbs’ brother. The Rock had publicly expressed enthusiasm for Momoa joining Hobbs & Shaw 2, replying “Next Hobbs movie for sure” to a fan on Instagram. However, Momoa joining the main Fast & Furious series renders any chance of that virtually impossible. Moreover, even if Momoa’s planned role in Hobbs & Shaw were to be re-invented to accommodate him as an antagonist, Johnson’s departure from the main franchise is the real roadblock. Owing to Johnson’s aforementioned feud with Vin Diesel, he’s made it as clear as can be that he has no plans to return to the central Fast & Furious series. Momoa is great casting for the Fast Saga, but his specific role creates an unfortunate monkey’s paw situation in this case.
Why Momoa & The Rock Teaming Up In Fast & Furious Would Have Been Perfect
Aside from appearing as Hobbs’ brother, little is known about exactly what Momoa’s role in Hobbs & Shaw would’ve been. Hobbs was on somewhat rocky terms with his family upon his return to Samoa, even taking a punch from his brother Jonah (Cliff Curtis). This could suggest there may have been some lingering animosity between Hobbs and Momoa’s character, too. That said, it likely would’ve been resolved quickly to enable them to fight alongside each other.
As the brother of one of the franchise’s core heroes, Momoa would be a similarly powerful presence as Johnson’s Hobbs on-screen, in a literal as well as metaphorical sense. Standing at 6’5, Momoa would be virtually the only Fast & Furious cast member of a similar height and build as The Rock. The two side-by-side in a fight scene like on Hobbs & Shaw‘s climax could’ve made for a very strong action movie duo. With Momoa’s becoming a big star through his portrayal of Aquaman, there could even have been the possibility of him returning later on. Unfortunately, none of that can come to pass with Momoa’s new role as the villain of Fast 10 and 11.