Dwayne Johnson is returning to the The Fast and the Furious franchise in Fast 11, and I’m glad because the series’ attempt to replace the character didn’t work nearly as well as a character. Introduced in Fast Five as a new antagonist for Dom Toretto and his crew, the federal agent quickly became a sH๏τ in the arm for the franchise. Hobbs returned for several films in the series, before getting his own spin-off film Hobbs & Shaw. However, there was some question whether or not Dwayne Johnson’s feud with Vin Diesel would keep Hobbs out of Fast 11.
Those fears were dashed in the post-credits scene for Fast X, which confirmed that Hobbs would have a big part to play in the finale to the long-running action franchise. While this is a big moment for long-time fans of the series, it also quietly comes at the expense of the character F9 had been quietly setting up as Hobbs’ replacement in the series. Here’s why John Cena’s Jakob Toretto felt like a replacement for Hobbs, why it didn’t work, and why it makes Hobbs’ return for the upcoming Fast 11 all the more important.
Jakob Toretto Was Supposed To Be Fast & Furious’ New Luke Hobbs
Jakob Was Set Up As A Major New Wildcard, But Didn’t Quite Work
Jakob Toretto was supposed to be an ideal replacement for Luke Hobbs in The Fast & The Furious franchise, but was promptly swept from the board ahead of Dwayne Johnson’s return for Fast 11. After Hobbs was spun off into his own adventure alongside Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, Jakob Toretto was introduced in F9 as the estranged brother of Dom and Mia who splintered away from their family after the death of their father. Having remained a dangerous criminal instead of going the redemptive path of Dom and his friends, Jakob is the primary antagonist of F9.
As reveled in F9, Jakob grew up with Dom and worked as a pit crew member for his father’s racing career alongside his brother. Jack had secretly instructed Jakob to tamper with his car to throw a race, only for Jack to die in the ensuing crash. This is what drove Jakob away from the family, as Dom realized Jakob was involved in Jack’s death but was unaware of the full story when he forced Jakob to leave the family.
Jakob is a replication of what made Hobbs initially compelling. Played by a charismatic wrestling legend who can charm, threaten, and fight with the best of them, Jakob has a deeply personal reason for wanting to bring down Dom. Jakob also follows the same general arc as Hobbs, becoming a reluctant ally to Dom as the true villain of the story takes shape. This sets up the return for the character in other films as a new member of the extended crew, which is exactly what happens in Fast X when Jakob shows up to protect Dom’s son Brian Marcos.
Why John Cena’s Fast & Furious Character Didn’t Work
Jakob Wasn’t As Good Of A Character As Hobbs
Despite the best efforts of the cast and crew of F9, Jakob just wasn’t as entertaining of a contrast to Dom as Hobbs. In many ways, Jakob felt like a dark reflection of Dom and what he could have become if not for his found family pulling him away from a life of crime and destruction. However, his bad blood with Dom requires a lot of in-universe explanation, breaking down how the family obsessed Dom and Mia never brought up another sibling.
Hobbs was a more compelling foil to Dom…
The common story dynamic of brothers turned against one another ends in expected fashion in F9, with the two burying the hatchet in time to work together in the climax. Hobbs was a more compelling foil to Dom because he felt like a genuine foe capable of bringing Dom down. His history as a decorated law officer made him a natural foe for Dom, who has escaped the authorities plenty of times. Hobbs is a leader who inspires loyalty, similar to Dom.
Hobbs having a police force at his back gives him a direct parallel with Dom’s crew. His motivation was also far simpler, allowing the cast to focus on the tension it created instead of having to spend valuable screen time explaining it. Hobbs is a straightforward hero antagonist, a noble figure in pursuit of the anti-hero lead. By virtue of being more complicated and less compelling, Jakob just can’t match up to Hobbs.
Fast X Killed Off Jakob Just As He Was Starting To Get Interesting
Jakob Was Getting Fun Just In Time To Be Killed Off
Jakob’s failure to break out as a character in the same way as Hobbs might be why the character was promptly killed off in the next film in the series, Fast X. If Jakob had continued to be the “bad boy brother” of Dom and Mia and nothing else, that would have been just fine. The problem is that the film only kills Jakob off after finding a way to make him stand out from the rest of the cast.
Jakob spends much of Fast X protecting his nephew, quickly developing a fun rapport with Brian. Jakob shifting into “fun uncle” was a great way for John Cena’s natural charisma and comic timing to come into play. The character felt like a completely different person from his vengeful villain in F9, but it also made Jakob a lot more entertaining as a character and allowed him to have a unique place in the series. Jakob’s story was a bit of needed levity amid the action and played into the series’ themes about the importance of family.
Even his apparent death is in service of this more likable version of the character, sacrificing himself to save Brian in the climax of the film. Jakob was just getting interesting when he was killed off, which is a shame as he could have continued to play off the rest of the cast going into Fast 11. However, this might also be a blessing in disguise, as it could help keep Fast 11 from feeling overcrowded.
The Rock’s Return Means Fast 11 Won’t Need A Hobbs Replacement
Fast 11 Might Have Been Overstuffed If Jakob Was Still Around
Dwayne Johnson is set to return in a big way for Fast 11, with Hobbs returning in the post-credits scene of Fast X to become the next target of Jason Momoa’s Reyes. This sets up an inevitable team up between Hobbs and Dom, as well as any other surviving heroes and villains who want to bring the dangerous criminal mastermind down. With Hobbs back in the fold, it’s likely that Jakob wouldn’t have had nearly as much time to play an important role.
Fans are more excited for their old favorites to team up one last time instead of just seeing the relatively new Jakob take center-stage. This might quietly be the biggest reason Jakob had to die in Fast X. It pushes away any questions raised by Jakob’s existence but lack of role in the series up to this point, keeps the cast from getting too unwieldy, and ensures the focus can centered on the fan favorite characters that have long defined the franchise.
Jakob being killed off in Fast X also raises the stakes for Fast 11. With the series winding down, there’s no more protective barriers and characters who’ve appeared in almost a dozen films can now be brought down, like Jakob. It’s a shame to see Jakob go, because of the talent and likability Cena brought to the character in Fast X and the potential fun of seeing Cena and Johnson together in F11. However, it’s probably beneficial for Fast 11 to drop some characters to make room for returning marquee characters like Hobbs.
