It appears we now know who is going to be on the opposite end of some kicks, punches, and intense stares from Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Jason Statham in the upcoming “Hobbs and Shaw.” According to Variety, actor Idris Elba is said to be in final negotiations to join the cast of the ‘Fast and Furious’ spin-off film, playing the unnamed villain.
As we’ve mentioned previously, not much is known about “Hobbs and Shaw,” other than it marks the first spin-off film in the worldwide blockbuster franchise and is said to leave the fast cars and furious driving behind, to focus on the more action-adventure leanings of the two main characters. How Idris Elba might play into all of this is unknown, but it’s safe to say that he will be on the receiving end of some snappy dialogue and a “Rock Bottom” courtesy of Johnson.
This is far from the first time that Elba has embraced the role of villain. Previously, Elba played the villain in “Star Trek Beyond,” though his character name escapes me, much like most everything about the film. The actor also played the antagonist, Shere Khan, in the recent live-action “Jungle Book.” And perhaps most famous of all (at least in my eyes…), Elba played the role of Charles Miner, the a-hole new boss seen in several episodes on “The Office.”
Elba has had a bit of an up-and-down career in recent years. He has been impressive in “Molly’s Game,” and always great in “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Avengers: Infinity War.” However, things haven’t been all great for the actor. He also starred in the recent bomb “The Dark Tower” and was in the forgettable “The Mountain Between Us.” He’ll next be seen in the upcoming Netflix series “Turn Up Charlie,” and recently helmed his first feature film, “Yardie.”
“Hobbs and Shaw” will be helmed by “Deadpool 2” filmmaker David Leitch and will be written by the mastermind of the franchise, Chris Morgan. The film is said to hit theaters on July 26, 2019.