Since Fast and Furious 11 is reportedly the final movie in this long-running action franchise, it shouldn’t be too surprising that the long-awaited sequel seems to be throwing everything at the wall for this explosive installment. The latest news in Fast 11’s development comes from lead actor Vin Diesel, who has suggested that Brian O’Conner will return in some form for the series’ conclusion.

While this is very exciting news, the franchise has to be very careful about how they handle Brian’s return in Fast 11. There are numerous risks, both narrative and personal, ᴀssociated with reviving a character played by a now-deceased actor, but the decision will also have negative consequences for other franchise names.

Brian’s Fast & Furious Return Is More Intriguing Than Hobbs Coming Back

Dwayne Johnson’s Return No Longer Seems That Exciting

For a while, it seemed like the return of Luke Hobbs would be a major selling point of Fast & Furious 11. The character has been absent from the main storyline for the past eight years, with the real-life feud between Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson tainting much of the series’ marketing. Hobbs’ return is a huge moment that deserves the necessary fanfare to come alongside it.

Since the post-credits scene of Fast X revealed that Hobbs was back in the picture and had found himself in Dante Reyes’ sights, many viewers understandably ᴀssumed that his return would play a major role in Fast 11. However, now that Diesel has teased Brian’s return, the concept of Hobbs coming back seems a lot less exciting.

While it’s definitely possible for Fast 11 to balance these two characters in a fulfilling way, this doesn’t seem particularly likely. Even following Paul Walker’s tragic death, Brian’s spirit has lingered over this franchise in a way that no other characters have managed to do. He’s such a special figure in this story, and his return runs the risk of overshadowing Hobbs’.

Though it’s exciting that Brian is coming back in some form, it’s unfortunate that this will most likely come at Hobbs’ expense. Production on Fast 11 has seemingly stalled over the last few months, and this narrative conflict may be a key reason why; it’s hard to understand how the writers will balance these major character arcs without one clearly outshining the other.

Thankfully, there’s a Hobbs spinoff in the works that should be able to give the character the exclusive sendoff that he deserves without Brian’s return detracting from his story. Likewise, there have been very few updates about this project over the past months, but this makes sense since Fast 11 is clearly the studio’s main priority right now.