Warning: This blog contains spoilers for Fast X. If you’re planning on seeing it, don’t read any further just yet.
It’s now time for me to attempt the most difficult task anybody who writes about film for a living must eventually face: trying to explain the logic in a Fast and Furious movie.
Universal
Over the past two decades, the franchise has become beloved for its sheer ridiculousness. These are movies where anybody could return from the dead in a blink of an eye, and after going to space in the ninth instalment, there’s truly nothing that would be implausible this time around.
Fast X ends with multiple cliffhangers setting up the final (or perhaps penultimate?) instalment, which reveal that Dante Reyes’ devious revenge plan isn’t over just yet.
A Surprise Death…
Universal
Jason Momoa’s flamboyant villain had a simple plan when it came to exacting revenge on Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) for his part in the heist that took his father’s life back in Fast Five. It meant the team were all split up this time around, each targeted in a different way designed to make Dom suffer.
Arguably the most pivotal of these was the apparent death of his brother, Jakob (John Cena), whose redemption arc in this movie culminates in him saving the life of Dom’s son Brian via causing an explosive car crash. It’s the type of death that in any other movie would suggest Cena wouldn’t return – however, this is a Fast & Furious movie, and as we see Jakob clutching Dom’s cross seconds before the crash, we can’t rule out a supernatural intervention keeping him alive for the next movie.
After all, stranger things have happened in this franchise.
… And an even more surprising resurrection
Universal
Which is proven not long afterwards, when we get the unexpected arrival of Gal Gadot’s Gisele, presumed dead after saving Han’s life in 2013’s Fast & Furious 6. No explanation has been given as to how she survived, but if Han can be brought back from the dead, there’s no reason she can’t be too.
No explanation is given in her brief appearance, as she breaks out Cipher (Charlize Theron) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) from their Antarctic prison. It does open up a world of fan theories though – not least that Gisele has a loyalty to Cipher for some past event, which would explain her whereabouts for the past decade.
Universal
Could this also suggest that Theron’s cyberterrorist is another villain likely to be reformed, joining the family to take down Dante? Or, more realistically, does it suggest that Gisele has been working for Mister Nobody’s secret government agency whilst presumed dead, just like Han?
Kurt Russell’s character didn’t appear in Fast X, revealed to be missing by his daughter (Brie Larson) fairly early into proceedings. Could this be down to Dante’s doing – getting him out of the picture so Aimes (Alan Ritchinson) could take over his position and do his bidding?
Hobbs and Shaw in Fast 11?
Universal Pictures
Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) and Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) both make brief appearances this time around, setting up larger roles in the next instalment.
Shaw appears first, in a sequence teased in the Fast 9 post-credits scene, rejecting Han’s request for help taking on Dante. After discovering his mum (Helen Mirren) was also targeted, he opts to stay out of the picture – but this gives his character enough motivation to join the team in the next one.
As for Luke Hobbs, he may be seemingly estranged from the rest of the family, but that’s all about to change. In the post credits scene, we see him enter a creepy room where a phone starts ringing; it’s Dante, promising revenge, only Johnson’s hero has a far different reaction, seemingly welcoming the conflict.
We cut to black, ending on the promise of an almighty showdown next time around. It won’t arrive for another two years, but based on this, we’ll be there opening day.
Fast X is in UK cinemas now.
