The 10 things we want to see from the final Fast & Furious films
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Giles Keyte/Universal
The end of the road is officially in sight for Fast & Furious.
On Tuesday, news broke that Justin Lin has signed on to direct two more Fast movies, which will mark the final installments in the main franchise. Thankfully, between those and the upcoming Fast 9 (out May 2021), Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and company won't have to start putting the brakes on anytime soon.
Despite this announcement, the Fast world will continue to expand, with a Hobbs & Shaw sequel likely and further spin-offs to come. But Fast 10 and 11 will mark the end of a truly unexpected era, which began almost 20 years ago with a group of smalltime criminals stealing DVD players. And while it will be many years before we say goodbye to Dom, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Ludacris), and the rest of the core family, there are still some things we hope to see before the last ride.
Here's our wish list for the final Fast films:
1. Justice for Han
Let's hit this one first because it seems very likely that this demand from fans will be addressed in Fast 9 considering the trailer features the shocking return from the dead of Han (Sung Kang) and ends with the words "Justice is Coming."
2. Han & Shaw
So, according to the F9 trailer and Fast's veteran writer Chris Morgan, justice for Han is indeed coming. We don't know yet in what fashion, but it feels necessary at some point for Han and Shaw (Jason Statham) to come face-to-face onscreen. Shaw's Fast introduction was him appearing to kill Han, and, despite that, he's somehow emerged as one of the heroes of this franchise, even earning a spin-off with Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson). Previously speaking to EW, Morgan, who has penned six Fast films and Hobbs & Shaw, foreshadowed a possible resolution there. "There’s a line in Hobbs & Shaw that is right before the battle in Samoa where Shaw says to his sister, ‘There’s things I’ve done that I have to make amends for,'" said Morgan. "That line was specifically written and put in there just to let everyone know that he is talking about Han — it is on his mind. It tortures him, and he’s going to get to it.”
3. Becoming family again
Speaking of characters and actors needing to reunite, these films can't end without Diesel and Johnson sharing the screen. It was Johnson's debut as Hobbs in Fast Five and his sizzling, testosterone-filled chemistry with Diesel's Dom that helped raise the franchise to new heights, both critically and commercially. Unfortunately, drama between the two led to the two stars clearly never filming together on Fate of the Furious, with the camera trying to do its best to pretend they were. And things only got worse as Johnson called out some of his male costars as "candy asses," which seemed directed specifically at Diesel. Johnson went off to Hobbs & Shaw and has already publicly stated he and Statham won't be in Fast 9. But there is hope following Johnson thanking "brother Vin" for his support of the spin-off, concluding with a possible nod to the future: “And of course, all roads lead to one thing. I’ll be seeing you soon, Toretto.” Fingers crossed he's a man of his word.
4. Show love to the women
Back in 2017, Rodriguez threatened to the leave the franchise if they didn't "show love to the women." Previously speaking to EW, she said, “I’ve been making movies with Jordana [Brewster], who plays the sister of Dom Toretto, for 16 years and I can count on one hand how many lines I’ve had to her. I think that’s pathetic and it’s lack of creativity." Fast's leading lady has recently revealed that a woman was brought in to help with the Fast 9 script, specifically when it came to the female characters. That fact, the return of Mia (Brewster), and the promise of a female spin-off is a good start, but now Fast needs to followthrough and deliver for all of its badass women.
5. Let Helen Mirren drive
That leads nicely into the next three items on our wish list. First up is Helen Mirren, who looks to be the connective tissue between Fast and Hobbs & Shaw. After debuting as Shaw's mom, Magdalene, in Fate of the Furious, she returned for Hobbs & Shaw and now for Fast 9. Mirren essentially campaigned to join the franchise but has expressed disappointment that she hasn't gotten behind the wheel yet. While the Fast 9 trailer shows her literally sitting behind the wheel, the car is noticeably parked. Please just let this Dame live her life a quarter mile at a time!
6. Let Charlize get some fresh air
Between Fate of the Furious and the Fast 9 trailer, all of Charlize Theron's scenes have taken place on an airplane, in a very dark room, in some high-tech cell, and back in a different plane. Now, I'm sure this has been very nice on Theron's schedule, allowing her to do some quick work on an indoor set, but it's time to have master hacker Cipher get her hands dirty and put to use Theron's Atomic Blonde and Old Guard skills.
7. Let Ramsey have a last name
Nathalie Emmanuel's Ramsey has been a great and seamless addition to the family since showing up in Furious 7. And Tej and Roman's fight for attention and affection continues to provide laughs. But the end of Fate of the Furious maybe inadvertently pointed out part of a problem when Ramsey asked her potential suitors what her last name was and they were completely stumped. While it was funny in the moment, the line also showed that this character needs to be further fleshed out and can't rely solely on the likability of Emmanuel. Also, if we're being honest, I just assumed Ramsey was her last name. Here's to hoping that she gets some of that love Rodriguez is looking for.
8. Redemption for Ja Rule
Oh how different things could have been. Before Ludacris and Tyrese became mainstays, Ja Rule was the original musician to appear in Fast. At the peak of his powers as a rapper, he popped up briefly in The Fast and the Furious as street racer Edwin, who gets embarrassed following a loss to Dom. Once Diesel bowed out of 2 Fast 2 Furious, Ja Rule was lined up to return in a bigger role, except, according to director John Singleton, "Ja got too big for himself." With Ja Rule turning down the film, Singleton quickly pivoted to Ludacris, creating Tej, a character that is still going strong eight movies later. Even Ja Rule would have to admit that he made a mistake, but it's not too late for redemption. No one could have ever expected Vince (Matt Schulze) would return in Fast Five and make viewers feel for him, so why not give Ja his chance? Maybe Edwin and Twinkie (Bow Wow) somehow became the very, very, very poor man's version of Dom and Brian!
9. Further spin-off setup
Last year Diesel revealed plans for a “female protagonist driven spin-off.” While there's been no further word on those plans, EW shared our own ideas, including a Gisele (Gal Gadot) prequel and Monica (Eva Mendes) vehicle. Morgan previously revealed to EW that they've long had an idea for a Roman and Tej spin-off and hopes that could still come to fruition. Those characters have more than earned their own film, but Fast should be laying the groundwork now for any future world building. If they have any shortage of ideas, then we're always here to help (just imagine the potential of a Shaw family film).
10. F--- it, go to space
As Fast continues to raise the stakes, the joke has always been that they'd eventually end up in space. We'll admit it, we've even taken part, wondering who should go to space first: Fast or Tom Cruise. Cruise starring in a space-set Fast movie is obviously the only answer. And yet, is it actually a joke anymore? “I would never shoot down space,” Morgan has told EW. “Never, never. I would literally never shoot down anything, as long as it hits the parameters: ‘Is it badass? is it awesome? Will the audience love it? And will it not break faith with the audience as they’re watching it?’ I’m down for whatever.” Recent comments from Rodriguez and Ludacris have further stoked the flames of that conversation. Could the return of Han Seoul-Oh (yes, really) somehow help pave the way to space? In a franchise that has featured flying cars, skyscraper jumps, a submarine chase in the snow, and Black Superman, why the hell not?
But, no matter what happens in the final three films, one thing will always be true:
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