The 'Hobbs & Shaw' Trailer Is Bringing A Sci-Fi Twist To The Fast & Furious

On Friday, Feb. 1, the Fast & Furious franchise released the first trailer for its spin-off film Hobbs & Shaw and it certainly does not disappoint. The clip, which is notably filled with enough action to keep fans on the edge of their seats, sets the film apart from past installments with the introduction of a villain that has supernatural powers, giving the Fast & Furious: Hobbs & Shaw trailer a sci-fi twist that the series has never seen before.

Set two years after the events of The Fate of the Furious, according to Deadline, the film reintroduces the characters of Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), who are forced to team up against a new villain named Brixton, who is being played by Idris Elba. Amidst the trailer, it is revealed that Brixton has superhuman powers, as Elba explains in his distinct British accent, "I'm dealing with future of the planet. I'm the necessary shock to the system. I am human evolutionary change — bullet-proof, superhuman."

That's right: Brixton is officially moving the Fast & Furious franchise into sci-fi territory. The narrative of Brixton's otherworldly powers is a total departure from past F&F films, which have notably been set in the "real" world (gravity-defying stunts aside). With details about the character's background and the source of his unnatural strength still scarce, fans will likely have to wait until the film's Aug. 2 debut to get a full grasp of his history.

Rounding out the amazing cast, per PopSugar, is Vanessa Kirby, who plays Deckard's sister and MI-5 agent, Hattie Shaw. The movie will also star Eliza González as the mysterious Madam M. Meanwhile, Roman Reigns, who is Johnson's real-life cousin, will enter the franchise as Hobbs' brother. The outlet also noted that Ray Donovan actor Eddie Marsan is also slated to appear in an unknown role, while Helen Mirren will reprise her role as the Shaw family matriarch, Magdalene.

While many fans were already totally on-board for the pairing of Hobbs and Shaw in a new film, it seems that addition of Elba's Brixton has only made things that much more enticing for fans of the long-standing franchise. Many took to Twitter to express their excitement over newest addition to the Fast & Furious family.

Anticipation for the Hobbs & Shaw spinoff has been building ever since Johnson and Statham stole the show as enemies in 2015's Furious 7. Hobbs, an agent of America's Diplomatic Security Service, and Shaw, a former British military operative have remained a match made in action movie heaven ever since, making waves in 2017's The Fate of the Furious.

Back in December 2018, Statham detailed his working relationship with Johnson and shared some insight on what fans could expect from the forthcoming film. Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Statham explained,

“It’s definitely become much funnier than we intended for it to be, I think. It’s just two guys screwing around, making the most of it, and we’re getting some good stuff. But that will be determined by the audience, I’m sure, whether it’s good or bad [laughs]. But we feel like we’re doing something great and we’re enjoying it.”

The action star also shared his excitement for finally being able to work with Elba. “This has been a long time coming, to do something with Idris is tremendous,” he explained to EW. “With what they’ve created with this character, I don’t think anyone else can put the boots on. He’s just so formidable, so talented, and I’ve never seen a villain played to this kind of depth. He’s just so electric in what he’s delivering.”

Since its introduction in 2001, Fast & Furious has become one of the biggest action franchises in the world and with the new Hobbs & Shaw spin-off it seems to show no signs of stopping anytime soon.