Real Villain of Hobbs & Shaw clarified
Though Brixton represents villainy in Hobbs & Shaw, another Villain is at work. Brixton answers to an invisible person simply known as "The Director" all through the film. Here, Brixton performs their bidding on behalf of Eteon, the Director is the actual puppetmaster. From their title, we know The Director is high up in the Eteon hierarchy and a powerful player inside the broad and strong company. They thus have access to significantly more allies, weaponry, and technology than Hobbs and Shaw do. Should a sequel develop, this will become a major issue should they resurface.
Based on Hobbs's response, the inference is that The Director's identity will be shocking and might very well be one of already mentioned characters in the Fast & Furious series.
The Director in Hobbs and Shaw Clarified
Hobbs & Shaw include multiple Villainous characters. Though Brixton was essentially a puppet of the true Hobbs & Shaw villain, known as The Director, viewers were most familiar with his villainy. Early on in the film, Brixton is shown working for a dark company called Eteon and routinely reporting to a faceless entity just referred to as The Director. When Brixton and the Director have scenes together, the latter's voice is warped and difficult to identify. Ryan Reynolds, who makes a separate surprise visit in Hobbs & Shaw, gave the voice; nevertheless, this does not necessarily suggest that his character is the Director.
The Director established in Hobbs & Shaw has two very interesting qualities. Their speech sounds twisted and unidentifiable due in great part to heavy processing. Brixton most certainly had no idea who he was working with during his tenure with Eteon. It is also well known that The Director had past with Hobbs.
Ryan Reynolds Linked To Hobbs & Shaw's Director
A bit of investigating reveals Ryan Reynolds as Hobbs & Shaw's Eteon Director's voice. Technically, a "Champ Nightengale" is the actor credited with voicing the Eteon Director. Right now, Hobbs & Shaw is Nightengale's sole credit. A cursory check on Nightengale's name turns up links straight back to Reynolds. The actor reportedly adopted the moniker "Champ Nightengale" to create a humorous bogus review for Aviation Gin, which Reynolds owns according to Insider.
Reynolds conducts double work in Hobbs & Shaw. He not only speaks as the Eteon Director but also makes a cameo as Locke, a former Hobbs' buddy. Arriving to inform Hobbs of the pilfers virus, Locke orders Hobbs to London to work with Shaw. He seems to be rather amiable and to truly value his connection with Hobbs. Locke might still be the Eteon Director, though, just because he gets along well with Hobbs does not mean he cannot also be such.
Is the Director in Hobbs & Shaw Keanu Reeves?
It was thought at first Keanu Reeves had a significant Hobbs & Shaw part. Given Reeves' amazing popularity with the John Wick series, it's not shocking a high-octane film like Hobbs & Shaw would have sought the actor for a major part. Given his relationship to filmmaker David Leitch, Reeves also made logical sense for becoming engaged in Hobbs & Shaw. Leith first collaborated with Reeves in an uncredited directing capacity on the first John Wick film.
But in June 2019 Reeves' supposedly Hobbs & Shaw performance was refuted. Though plans for Reeves's character changed and there is always the chance he was planned to be in the film, it is difficult to know without more knowledge. Reeves missed this spinoff, but Dwayne Johnson stated in an interview that he was corresponding with the John Wick actor. Although specifics on the nature of their talks were not stated, Reeves may yet come aboard a Hobbs & Shaw sequel (assuming it be approved) and portray The Director.
The continuous villain will be Hobbs & Shaw's Director.
While Brixton might not make a comeback for a Hobbs & Shaw sequel, The Director most certainly would. The last minutes of the film confirm The Director is an all-seeing entity who isn't done with Hobbs and Shaw just yet in a sequence similar of Alita: Battle Angel, whereby Edward Norton's all-seeing character Nova is monitoring over the action from Zalem. Their last conversation with the titular pair not only validates Hobbs's shared past but also The Director's plans for a comeback.
Having expressed a wish to enlist Hobbs and Shaw for Eteon—a moment reminiscent of Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back, in which Palpatine sought to sway Luke to the Dark Side—it does not seem like they would be inclined to back down on this any time soon. If Hobbs and Shaw cannot be hired, it sounds as though The Director would merely try to kill them, hence increasing the stakes for the team in the next film.
What We Know About Hobbs & Shaw 2
Although Dwayne Johnson returned in Fast X, there has been little coverage on the sequel to the Fast & Furious spinoff since Hobbs and Shaw 2 was revealed in 2021. Although no official word has been released on the cancellation of the Hobbs and Shaw sequel, the present forthcoming projects revealed by the Fast & Furious franchise seem to suggest that the narrative could be veering off course. This also leaves unknown what this implies for the enigmatic Director.
Rather than the forthcoming Fast 11, a solo Hobbs film would be a perfect fit to highlight this particular sector of the Fast & Furious universe.
Hobbs & Shaw's odd team of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw comes together in the first Fast Saga spinoff film. This time Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto does not cross paths with the titular anti-heroes. Rather, they battle Idris Elba's artificially improved super soldier Brixton Lore with Vanessa Kirby's character, Shaw's sister Hattie, and Helen Mirren's character, mother Magdelene respectively.
