Appearing in sequels for The “Fast and the Furious” series may not be enough to sate Dwayne Johnson’s appetite for playing the Luke Hobbs character, as it looks like the actor may be starring in his own spin-off film between the franchise’s next two entries.
In an interview with Empire, Johnson discussed the project, which was first hinted at shortly after the release of “Fast Five.” According to the actor, the Hobbs standalone movie could “possibly” be released after “The Fast and the Furious “
He went on to insist that he’s “not too sure,” but he also knows that “that’s the goal and we continue to build that character and have him take shape.” Johnson “can’t wait” for that particular film regardless of its release, which could conceivably be wedged in between two proper series sequels.
There’s little doubt that there’s at least going to be a seventh “Fast & Furious” film, as it’s already been confirmed that part 6 features a post-credits sequence that paves the way for it. At one point, producers were kicking around the idea of shooting parts 6 and 7 back-to-back but nixed the idea, so it’s possible that Johnson’s solo film could come first.
Johnson isn’t just excited about his upcoming work in this franchise, either, as he’s expressed interest in working with all the big guns lately. On separate occasions, he’s put “The Expendables 3,” “Bond 24,” and even the upcoming “Star Wars” sequel on his hit list.
When asked about the third “Expendables” film, Johnson said “it all depends,” but he’d be down for an appearance if Sylvester Stallone called him up. As far as Bond goes, Johnson repeated his refrain that he’d love to take on a villain role and follow in the footsteps of his grandfather, Peter Maivia, who appeared in “You Only Live Twice.”
During the UK premiere for “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” Johnson even said he’d “absolutely” love to appear in the new “Star Wars” film, but “it’d be up to [director] J.J. [Abrams].”
While it might seem like Johnson is putting himself out there for a lot of projects, there’s little doubt he could handle it all if it came his way. After all, the prolific actor is currently enjoying a stretch that will see him pop up in four different movies over the course of as many months (“Snitch,” “G.I. Joe,” “Pain and Gain,” and “Fast & Furious 6”).
On top of all of that, he’s also pulling double duty as a part-time wrestler and current WWE Champion. His next bout is scheduled for April 7th, where he will put his belt on the line in a rematch against John Cena.