The Fast and the Furious films have unexpectedly turned into a multi-billion dollar franchise that’s nearly amassed ten films with increasingly ridiculous car-related antics. Even though each film in the series gets progressively outrageous, the movies are able to effectively sell this insanity and they’ve done great work to establish the boundaries of this exaggerated universe. One of the more entertaining characters to enter the Fast and the Furious films is Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw.
The villain-turned-ally has become such a popular addition to the series that he’s even been spun off into his own series of films that take advantage of Statham’s extreme nature. Deckard Shaw may be an entertaining character, but not everything that he does is always in the realm of plausibility. Deckard Shaw’s over the top nature is part of what makes him so much fun, but there are naturally limits to this.
15. He Makes Allusions To The Italian Job.
There’s a cute nod to Jason Statham’s other major car caper, The Italian Job, during a scene in Hobbs & Shaw. Shaw makes reference to the Mini Cooper from the movies and says that it’s from an old job in Italy, implying that he’s the same character from that franchise, even if that doesn’t make any sense. Sure, he could have been operating under an alias, but that brings even more questions into play.
14. His Entire Relationship With Cipher.
Deckard Shaw finds himself down a dark path when Charlize Theron’s Cipher attempts to manipulate him into doing her bidding. She’s not successful, but with all of the training that Shaw has undergone, she shouldn’t be able to get anywhere near him. Furthermore, she turns her efforts to Deckard’s brother, so he should be even less resistant to work alongside her in the future.
13. Shaw’s Shootout With A Baby.
One of the more insane set pieces in Fate of the Furious is some wild gunplay that Statham’s Deckard Shaw breaks out in while a baby is strapped to his chest. It’s a weird bit of visual comedy as Statham tows these extremes. Such a display would most definitely render the child deaf (even if it’s wearing headphones), if not do even more lasting damage. It’d be a wreck.
12. He’s More Durable Than A Car.
A car crash is a traumatic accident that can seriously injure individuals, if not kill them. Deckard has a mastery over vehicles, but he still experiences several head-on car crashes where the vehicles are absolutely destroyed and he’s no worse for wear. He escapes fine and ready for more strenuous activities.
11. He’s Been Nominated For A Victoria Cross.
Part of Deckard’s past includes a rather illustrious history with the British Special Forces. In one particular situation, Deckard’s actions save the lives of several hostages and allies while he throws himself into harm’s way. It results in his nomination for the Victoria Cross, one of the highest honors. However, this behavior feels highly antithetical to the version of Deckard that’s around in the earlier movies.
10. He’s Given Two Different Birth Dates.
This might be splitting hairs on some level, but it’s such an easy thing to be careful about that it’s an unfortunate inconsistency. The God’s Eye satellite, which holds intel on everyone, says that Shaw was born March 25th, 1970. However, later a file on Shaw is shown that says his birthday is October 19th, 1973. While one could be information from a fake profile that Shaw has used, it just doesn’t make any sense.
9. He Has Superhuman Speed.
Everyone in Fast and the Furious operates at an exaggerated quality, but Shaw is especially gifted when it comes to speed. He’s able to predict maneuvers, nearly before they happen, and Brixton deduces that Shaw punches nearly 30% faster than Hobbs. The most extreme example of his speed is when he’s able to put the pin back in a grenade before it’s able to explode.
8. He’s Pulled Off Highly Precise Moves With Vehicles.
The whole point of the Fast and the Furious films is that these characters use vehicles to pull off crazy stunts and essentially save the world with them. Some suspension of disbelief is required with these movies, but some of Shaw’s maneuvers are just too big of coincidences. The odds required for him to properly time his car crash to take out Han are ridiculous. He routinely use blunt instruments to pull off skilled moves.
7. He Can Take Extreme Electrical Shock.
By the time Hobbs & Shaw rolls around, the Fast and the Furious films are already at an extremely heightened place. Idris Elba’s Brixton tortures Shaw and Hobbs in gratuitous ways, one of which involves him subjecting them to extreme electrocution. Shaw should be wrecked from this, but he’s still ready to go.
6. He’s Able To Turn Anything Into A Weapon.
Deckard Shaw comes with a highly skilled background and legends that surround him, one of which is that he’s able to turn anything in his environment into a deadly weapon. It’s an intimidating hook, but it’s taken literally and there are some circumstances where Shaw just shouldn’t be able to eliminate a target.
5. His Martial Arts Background Doesn’t Line Up With His History.
Deckard Shaw has undergone intense training and has many skills at his disposal, but when it comes to his combat techniques and Martial Arts achievements, it feels like the films are just being gratuitous. Shaw shows moves that demonstrate a knowledge of jiu-jitsu, karate, kickboxing, and Wing Chun kung fu, many of which don’t mesh with Shaw’s British and Russian roots. They’re just extra skills given to Shaw without consideration.
4. There’d Be A Major Age Discrepancy Between Shaw And His Sister.
More of Shaw’s family gets shown as more Fast and the Furious films pass. Hobbs & Shaw goes the furthest in this area and brings Vanessa Kirby in as Shaw’s sister, Hattie. Statham is more than 20 years older than Kirby, which makes them very unlikely siblings. It’s a huge gap between them, yet Hobbs & Shaw says that they’re only two years apart.
3. He Seems To Have Advanced Healing.
The level of violence that Deckard Shaw experiences is on another level. He gets thrown through glass walls, concrete, and breaks walls with his body. In spite of this severe damage, he barely has scratches on him and when he does incur damage, it’s very quickly gone, as if he’s rapidly healing.
2. He Sneaks A Nail File To His Mother In Prison.
In what’s clearly meant to be a joke, towards the end of Hobbs & Shaw, both Deckard and his sister visit their mother, Magdalene, in prison. She’s desperate to escape and Deckard gives her a cake that has a nail file hidden in it so she can break out. It’s an old gag, but one that seems impossible now with the security in prisons.