According to Dwayne Johnson, Eiza González is playing a brand-new character in the Fast & Furious spinoff Hobbs and Shaw. The Fast & Furious franchise is still going strong 17 years after the first installment, The Fast and the Furious, hit theaters in 2001. Of course, the property’s evolved a whole lot over the past decade, especially since Johnson started playing (former) Diplomatic Security Service agent Luke Hobbs. Now, the series is getting its first full-blown spinoff film.
As its title implies, Hobbs and Shaw follows Hobbs and military officer-turned mercenary Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) as the mismatched pair join forces to - what else? - save the world. The idea for the film was inspired by Johnson and Statham’s onscreen chemistry during last year’s The Fate of the Furious and surrounds the duo with (for the most part) newcomers to the larger Fast & Furious franchise. That includes González as a mysterious individual known as “Madam M”.
Johnson, as he does on all his films and TV shows nowadays, has continued to keep fans in the loop on Hobbs and Shaw via updates to his social media accounts. His latest Instagram message (see the screenshot below) reveals the name of González’s character and hints at her role in the film’s storyline.
It’s possible Johnson’s reference to Madam M’s “squad of bad ass female force multipliers” means the character is part of a team of women that includes Vanessa Kirby’s MI6 agent (and Deckard’s sister) in the spinoff, Hattie Shaw. Alternatively, Madam M could be a criminal who works alongside Idris Elba’s terrorist mercenary Brixton, in opposition to the film’s namesakes and Hattie. Either way, it’s good to see that Hobbs and Shaw includes a relatively diverse group of male and female cast members, much like the Fast & Furious movies before them (especially the ones released since Johnson joined the franchise in 2011’s Fast Five).
González, meanwhile, is busier than ever following her breakout role in last year’s Edgar Wright heist thriller Baby Driver. The singer/actress plays roles in this week’s Welcome to Marwen and next February’s Alita: Battle Angel, and even has a role in the currently-filming Godzilla vs. Kong in addition to Hobbs and Shaw. She’s also said to be circling the role of Anita in Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake, which would give González a chance to showcase her musical talents on the big screen. Suffice it to say, she’s a talented - and welcome - addition to the Fast & Furious family.
MORE: Vanessa Kirby’s Hobbs & Shaw Character is ‘Absolutely the Boss’
Source: Dwayne Johnson
- Hobbs and Shaw Release Date: 2019-08-02