Fast & Furious Detail Reveals Just How Powerful The Rock's Hobbs Really Is

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A fun detail in Hobbs & Shaw indicated just how strong Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Fast & Furious character, Luke Hobbs, truly is in hand-to-hand combat. Johnson made his franchise debut in Fast Five before being promoted to a key figure in The Fast Saga. Initially presented as an enemy of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his crew, Hobbs later became a pivotal ally. The actor then led the franchise's first official spinoff in 2019 alongside Fast & Furious vet Jason Statham. Though Hobbs was forced to partner with Statham's Deckard Shaw, a former nemesis, the two men never stopped trying to one-up each other out in the field, especially when it came to brute power.

Before Johnson embarked on a film career, he was best known for being a professional wrestler under his ring name, The Rock. Despite being one of the greatest wrestlers to ever compete, Johnson decided to leave it behind to focus on acting after getting his feet wet with action roles. In time, the man known for his enormous physique would go on to become one of the highest-grossing actors in history. Based on his size and dedication to fitness, Johnson often appears in action-heavy roles. He also never shies away from parts that require fighting sequences based on his ample in-ring experience.

In Hobbs & Shaw, Idris Elba played the lead antagonist, Brixton; a cyber-genetically enhanced terrorist working for a dangerous organization threatening the world with a dangerous virus. Hobbs and Shaw then reluctantly teamed up to find the programmable virus, which also meant facing off with Brixton. As part of Brixton's mechanical implants and physically enhanced prosthetic limbs, the character wore an exoskeleton-like suit. He also had optical power that displayed the powers of his enemies. When Hobbs faced off with Brixton in the first act of the movie, Johnson's strength was revealed on the villain's optics. As pointed out by a viewer (via Reddit), Hobbs' had the power to punch with over 900 lbs. of force. While Shaw's force power was presumably much lower, Statham's Fast & Furious character was skilled in another area based on Brixton's display.

How Hobbs' Power Compared To Shaw's In The Fast & Furious Spinoff


While hitting over 900 lbs. of force was remarkable enough, a commenter on the original post pointed out that Hobb's force level actually reached over 1,200 lbs. in his fight with Brixton, which would be nearly impossible for even the most skilled of fighters. When Shaw attempted to punch Brixton, it gave the villain a trajectory warning, meaning more technique was behind the hit. Shaw's velocity reading hit upwards of 19 M/sec while Hobbs was in the 12-14 M/sec range in the scene. Whereas Shaw most likely focused on his fighting style while Hobbs relied on his raw strength. Considering they both excelled in certain areas of combat skills, the scene detail played into their ongoing rivalry.

Without knowing the true force of a real Johnson punch, it's impossible to determine how accurate Brixton's reading was in the Hobbs & Shaw sequence. It was most likely a fun nod to the differentiating strengths between the spinoff's two led characters. However, some viewers noticed the different measurement systems with force in imperial units, and the velocity was shown in metric. As with most cases with the Fast & Furious franchise, it's always best to enjoy the action without diving too deep into the realistic nature and accuracy.

F9/Fast & Furious 9 (2021)
Release Date: Jun 25, 2021