If fans of The Fate of The Furious believing that the chemistry between star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason Statham was too good to be purely scripted… well, you were right. It turns out that the two veteran action stars were able to gel into an on-screen twosome just as well as their characters of ‘Luke Hobbs’ and ‘Deckard Shaw’ battled like oil and water in the previous film in the series. Fate turns Shaw from an enemy to an ally, but it’s unquestionably Johnson who benefits the most from the change in dynamic.
That change didn’t work for every fan, as online conversation has already turned to discuss just how quickly Shaw’s murder of Han in Tokyo Drift (or Furious 6, depending on your view of the timeline) was brushed aside. Those crimes weren’t forgotten by Hobbs, who winds up incarcerated at a CIA black site prison right across from Shaw, his former prey. Vowing to make him pay if he ever gets the chance, the two soon join forces instead of exchanging blows… allowing sparks to fly, and now according to Johnson, a completely unscripted moment become one of the movie’s most unforgettable.
After the collected team members have been gathered (or released from prison) and escorted to their base of operations, Hobbs approaches Shaw with what turns out to be his service record, detailing the career of a hero soldier who earned the Victoria Cross - a far cry from the murderer who tormented them over the course of the past film. Shaw suggests that both of their official histories are probably only half the truth, but that had the two met in another life, the two could have “done some serious damage.” Those who remember their fight in Furious Seven don’t need to use their imagination to see Shaw is right.
When Shaw claims that fact makes it all the sadder that he’s going to have to kill Hobbs when their mission is over, he receives the following one-liner in response:
Understandably, as vicious and well-worded a threat as it may be - a nod back to Hobbs’s introduction in Fast Five - Shaw can’t help but crack up, leading the two to share a laugh as two incredibly macho, tough-talking men of muscle… and comrades, in some sense. It was just one of several moments that had fans hoping to see Shaw and Hobbs share even more screen time in this film and possibly sequels, or spinoffs.
“With all due respect Captain, when this whole thing is over we’re going to find a location, and I’m gonna knock your teeth so far down your throat you’re gonna stick a toothbrush right up your a** to brush ’em.”
Adding more evidence to the theory that such a Fast & Furious spinoff movie would be a hit, it sounds like that moment of badass camaraderie wasn’t even in the script. When asked about Statham’s reaction on Twitter, Johnson responded candidly:
So there you have it, one of the most genuine moments of easy humor and partnership on display in the film was a result of Johnson and Statham genuinely cracking eachother up - a moment director F. Gary Gray knew to include in the finished cut. The two never actually get another moment like it, eventually concluding the story at the “family” dinner in New York, with Hobbs announcing his retirement. Which means this moment may remain as just a glimpse of what could have been.
Ha completely broke character. It’s the fun of our real life chemistry. Great guy. For the record, he broke first. #fateofthefurious
What could have been, had Vin Diesel not axed a post-credits scene apparently teasing a Hobbs spinoff, if rumors are to be believed. That’s the latest bit of news surrounding the highly discussed feud between Johnson and Diesel, made a bit easier to believe by the chemistry of Johnson with most of the cast - the cast largely separated from Diesel’s character for most of the movie. We doubt that feud has finished grabbing headlines just yet, but it’s nice to know that not every butting of bald, action hero heads on the Fate of the Furious set was an angry one.
Source: Dwayne Johnson
