Dante Reyes’ return as the main villain in Fast & Furious 11 will mercifully avoid the most annoying trope that the Fast & Furious franchise has been overusing for the past decade. Fast X director Louis Leterrier is back in the director’s chair for Fast & Furious 11, which is set to be released on an as-yet-unspecified date in 2026. Fast & Furious 11 is planned to be a return to the franchise’s roots, with Dom Toretto and his family back together, focused on a single mission.
Plot details are scarce for the next Fast & Furious movie, but it’s confirmed to follow on from Fast X’s cliffhanger ending. That means Jason Momoa will be back as the villainous Reyes, continuing his quest for vengeance against Dom and his crew. Reyes’ return can finally break an irritating trend with the past few Fast & Furious villains. A lot of the series’ recent villains have been redeemed as heroes, but it’s looking like Reyes will stay evil to the very end.
Dante Reyes Cannot Possibly Be Redeemed In Fast & Furious 11
There’s No Way To Get Reyes On Dom’s Side
Unlike the last few Fast & Furious villains, Reyes probably won’t be redeemed by the time his tenure is up. After everything that Reyes has done to Dom’s crew, and the intensity of their rivalry, there’s no way to make him organically switch sides by the end of this story. Plus, Fast & Furious 11 is supposed to be the last movie in the series, so there’s not enough time to chart a redemption arc for Reyes that wouldn’t feel too forced and contrived.
Why Fast & Furious Has Redeemed So Many Villains Since Fast Five
It’s The Best Way To Keep A-List Stars Around
Over the past decade, a bunch of Fast & Furious villains have been redeemed and turned into heroes. Luke Hobbs switched to Dom’s side after trying to take him down in Fast Five, but Hobbs was a lawman. He was never a traditional villain; he was just a cop doing his job. After Hobbs joined Dom’s found family, more and more antagonists followed suit. Deckard Shaw, the villain from Furious 7, ended up becoming Dom’s ally — and Hobbs’ sidekick — after his futile quest to avenge his brother (the baddie from Fast & Furious 6).
Villains have limited longevity; there’s nowhere left to go with them after they’re defeated.
After Shaw, The Fate of the Furious’ Cipher ended up joining Dom’s crew, too. She hasn’t strictly become a member of the family yet, but she teamed up with Letty in Fast X and spent the whole movie on the heroes’ side. The reason these villains keep getting redeemed is that it’s the easiest way to keep A-list stars in the ensemble. Villains have limited longevity; there’s nowhere left to go with them after they’re defeated. By turning them into heroes, actors like Jason Statham and Charlize Theron were able to stick around until Fast & Furious 11.
