is one of the most anticipated projects for a long time, but the production seems to have majorly slowed down in recent months. There have been very few updates about this exciting sequel, which is very frustrating given how many great plot lines were set up in Fast X. The film has always been marketed as the “final” movie in this long-running franchise, but even that may not be true anymore.

There have also been several interesting spinoff movies announced in the Fast & Furious universe, but production seems to have slowed on these, too. Hobbs & Reyes is the most obvious example; following Hobbs’ (Dwayne Johnson) return in Fast X, supposedly releasing between Fast X and Fast 11. However, with less than a year to go until Fast 11 supposedly wraps up the saga for good, it’s hard to see where this prospective spinoff fits into the equation.

Although very little was actually confirmed about the prospective spin-off, there was still discussion of a Hobbs & Reyes movie happening after Johnson’s character returned to the action franchise following the post-credits scene of Fast X. The scene confirmed that Agent Hobbs was the next figure in Dante Reyes’ (Jason Momoa) crosshairs and the spin-off movie which probably would have been unsuccessful.

Throughout Fast X, Reyes goes up against Dom Toretto and his friends as revenge for his father’s death during the events of Fast Five. He quickly became a fan-favorite villain, with Momoa’s eccentric performance cementing him as the highlight of the most recent sequel. Most audiences assumed that Fast 11 would simply be a continuation of this rivalry, but the surprise reveal of Johnson’s return at the end of Fast X seemed to steer that theory off-course, as — especially the final one.

That’s why Hobbs & Reyes was such an exciting prospect; it allows these two characters to flesh out their dynamic and conclude their vendetta against each other without interfering with the existing story of Fast X and Fast 11. Without it, . It needs to be Dom’s story, and bringing Hobbs back right at the end feels like it could be distracting.

Unfortunately, there has been very little development on the project since it was announced in June 2023. The last piece of information from the studio is the spin-off's name, and that was almost two years ago. With Fast & Furious 11 supposed to release in 2026, it seems like in between the tenth and eleventh Fast movies.

It’s unclear whether Hobbs & Reyes is even happening anymore. The series seems to be stuck in development purgatory (partially because of the SAG-AFTRA strikes of 2023), and none of the upcoming projects have even begun filming yet. , and that prospective release date for Fast 11 grows less and less probable by the day. This becomes even more concerning as Johnson has several dramatic movies in development, including the recently announced Breakthrough and the Martin Scorsese Hawaiian-based film.

Alternatively, the reason for both movies’ delayed productions could be that they’re going to be filmed simultaneously, with the spin-off leading directly into the story of Fast 11. This seems unlikely, but it’s the only way both movies could feasibly release before the end of next year. This would be a very interesting way of handling the series’ conclusion, effectively creating a “Dante Reyes” trilogy of movies that bring all the characters together for one final battle.

Ultimately, it’s hard to imagine how Fast 11 is even possible without this Hobbs & Reyes spin-off coming first. Most audiences assumed (upon seeing the post-credits sequence) that Hobbs’ return would be woven into the final Fast & Furious movie somehow, but the fact that this sequel was announced in the first place proves that was never the plan. If the writers have changed their minds, and Hobbs & Reyes doesn’t end up happening, then . Fast 11 needs to go back to the saga’s roots, not waste time with Hobbs’ subplot.

Alternatively, Fast 11 could simply ignore the Fast X post-credits scene and save Hobbs’ return for another time. Fast 11 is reportedly going to be the final entry in the main series, but there’s every possibility that more spin-offs and prequels will be coming in the future. This could be the new plan for Hobbs & Reyes. However, in Fast 11, as his return hasn’t been fully explained yet, and this feels like a huge waste.

Although I’m very skeptical that it’s going to happen, I’d have loved to see Hobbs & Reyes. It’s such an interesting concept for a spin-off, and it would have been a very welcome switch-up from the typical formula of the Fast & Furious movies. It’s a perfect opportunity to step back from the exaggerated, over-the-top storytelling of the main saga and try a more grounded, character-led narrative with two of the series’ best actors.

If Fast 11 does reunite Vin Diesel and Johnson after the many years they’ve spent feuding, it would be nice to have some build-up to this event rather than simply rushing into it and lessening the emotional impact. There’s currently no reason for Hobbs to reunite with Dom unless he’s already tried taking down Reyes alone, which likely would have been the plot of Hobbs & Reyes. This shouldn’t be condensed and shoved into Fast 11’s first act to get the plot points out of the way when there’s so much potential for a great feature-length story instead.