The Hobbs & Shaw Plot Detail Almost No One Believes

Hobbs & Shaw might be full of insanely unbelievable moments, but there's one plot detail stopping fans in their tracks.

The Fast & Furious franchise spin-off starring Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Statham (as Hobbs and Shaw, respectively) alongside huge names like Idris Elba and Helen Mirren hit theaters in August 2019, serving as the perfect escapist fare for the warm summer months. However, some viewers are pointing out a confusing fact about Vanessa Kirby's character, Hattie Shaw.

Best known for her roles in Mission: Impossible – Fallout and as the wild Princess Margaret on Netflix's The Crown (as the character ages, Helena Bonham Carter will take up the mantle), Kirby is just 31 years old, but can easily pass for younger. However, in the film, Kirby's Hattie and her brother, Statham's Deckard Shaw, are supposed to only be a few years apart — even though Statham is 52 years old in real life. That's a whopping 21-year age difference for the two actors being passed off in Hobbs & Shaw as close in age. 

Audiences took to the internet to ask questions about this odd choice, with Twitter user @Blaise205 noting, "Despite all of the unbelievable things in #hobbsandshaw what bothered me most is that Jason Statha[m]'s (real age 52 but looks 62) character is apparently suppose[d] to be close in age to Vanessa Kirby's (real age 31 but looks 21) character since they are shown as children together." 

Added user @GoSoundtrack, "Not for a minute do I believe that @VanessaKirby and #JasonStatham's characters in @HobbsAndShaw are siblings who are supposedly close in age. Btw, the actors are 21 years apart."

Younger women appearing opposite much older men isn't exactly a new phenomenon in film, so it's unsurprising that the team behind Hobbs & Shaw figured they could get away with this casting. But there's one key difference here that we're welcoming with open arms: at least, for once, the huge age difference doesn't include a weird, vaguely romantic relationship. 

Certainly, this baffling plot detail hasn't held Hobbs & Shaw back at the box office, and hasn't kept it from raking in great response. In its first weekend, Hobbs & Shaw earned over $180 million worldwide, and reviews for the flick have been positive, with critics calling it pure summer fun while praising both Statham and Johnson's performances.

Fans might not believe that Kirby and Statham are anywhere near the same age, but in a film involving death-defying stunts and larger-than-life action scenes, this might be one of the smaller suspensions of disbelief.