Summary
- Fast X director Louis Leterrier strategically hid Dwayne Johnson’s appearance in the final scene using shadows, masks, and lighting to divert attention away from his recognizable presence.
- Johnson’s return as Hobbs was a highly anticipated and exciting aspect of Fast X, especially after the release of the Hobbs & Shaw spinoff and his public feud with Vin Diesel.
- Despite initial conflicts and delays caused by the Hobbs & Shaw spinoff, Leterrier reached out to Johnson to appear in Fast X after the tenth movie’s principal photography was finished, bringing hope for Johnson’s return to the Fast & Furious franchise.
Fast X director Louis Leterrier explains how he hid Dwayne Johnson’s appearance in the final scene. The movie saw Johnson appear as his fan-favorite character Luke Hobbs during a mid-credits scene, setting up the rivalry between Fast X villain Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa) and Hobbs that will be explored in a yet-to-be-titled spinoff centering around Johnson’s Fast & Furious character. The spinoff will lead to the events of Fast & Furious 11, set to release in theaters in 2025.
In an interview with Total Film (via GamesRadar+), Leterrier explains how he hid Johnson away from the audience to better reveal Hobbs at the last minute in the Fast X credits scene. Admitting that anyone could recognize Johnson from his shape, the director had to take another tactic. Check out what he said about the process below:
It’s a scene in its own context as we just go from something really dark. The moment you film Dwayne Johnson, in any shape or form, you recognize it’s Dwayne Johnson, so I was like, ‘How can I change the tone?’ Hide it in the shadows, put a mask on, and use lights and flares so you’re distracted by the filmmaking. So you’re not focusing on who the camera is filming and what the camera is pointed at. That was the idea.
Our movie finishes in a pretty dark place. I couldn’t come back up and do a comedy scene, you know, it’s the continuation of what this dark place is. It’s the true reveal of Dante’s master plan and what he aims to do. I mean, what an honor to have Dwayne Johnson come back to the main franchise, that day was absolutely incredible.
Dwayne Johnson’s Return As Hobbs Is The Most Exciting Part Of Fast X
While Fast X wasn’t as well-received as previous installments of the Fast & Furious franchise, it has some notable highlights. One is Johnson’s highly-anticipated return as Hobbs, which came shortly after Black Adam bombed at the box office and following a highly publicized feud between himself and actor Vin Diesel on the set of 2017’s The Fate of the Furious. The actors have apparently squashed that beef, and Johnson publicly expressed his excitement at returning to the Fast & Furious franchise for the final installments and another Hobbs-related spinoff.
The release of the first Hobbs & Shaw caused some uproar in the Fast family, with actor Tyrese Gibson personally blaming Johnson for starring in the spinoff and causing a delay in the release of F9. The ninth installment was then subsequently delayed to June 2021 due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, with no signs of Johnson wanting to return to the Fast & Furious franchise. However, things apparently started to change behind the scenes, with Leterrier reaching out to Johnson to appear in Fast X after principal photography on the tenth movie was completed.
It’s partly because it seemed that all hope was lost for Johnson to return to Fast & Furious that his cameo as Hobbs feels special. Some have argued on social media that the actor is desperate for a franchise hit after Black Adam, but Hobbs is also one of Johnson’s most popular characters. It was almost inevitable that he would eventually return and end his feud with Diesel. Time will tell how he will factor into the rest of the franchise following his Fast X scene.
