The challenge of finding a villain worthy of going up against Hobbs & Shaw from the Fast & Furious franchise was a tall-ask that not many people could adequately measure up to, according to "The Rock" Dwayne Johnson. In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly spoke about the difficulty the production team had in casting a suitable villain, and how Idris Elba has answered the call in ways inexpressible.
"Who is the actor who can actually bring that weight?" remarked The Rock as he spoke with Entertainment Weekly. "And I’ve known Idris for some time now, and we felt like he was the perfect guy to come in and be our main villain."
If you didn't already know, the Fast & Furious camp is offshoot project centered around the characters of Hobbs & Shaw, played by modern-action heavyweights Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, whereas English actor Idris Elba will take on the role of Brixton, an international terrorist with nefarious plans.
The Rock added further context to the Brixton character he's been pitted against. "Coming in, he is undefeated," Johnson said. "And for a guy who is undefeated, three men enter and either one man leaves or two leave. ... Idris is the perfect guy. Obviously, he’s a phenomenal actor, really brings a great weight and quality to the role—and viability. He’s a big man and he’s a legitimate badass and a legitimate martial artist."
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw is slated to hit theaters in the US on August 2nd, 2019.