Fast and Furious 11 marks an opportunity for the franchise to finally redeem one of the best characters after the Fast saga ruined him, but whether they will follow through remains to be seen. Since it began in 2001, there have been many retcons and changes in the Fast and Furious franchise, from bringing characters back from the ᴅᴇᴀᴅ to altering previously established backstories to introduce a new element or family relation. However, the biggest change in the franchise is still Roman Pearce’s personality, as the character is completely different compared to his first appearance in 2 Fast 2 Furious.
Considering Fast and Furious 11 is expected to be the final movie in the franchise, there are a lot of expectations for the movie, as it must follow on from the action-packed cliffhanger of Fast X, resolve the franchise’s storyline, as well as somehow adhere to the “street-level story” proposed by Dom Toretto’s Vin Diesel. Therefore, although Fast and Furious 11 is set for a 2026 release date, unsurprisingly, there is some uncertainty surrounding the movie. Yet, there is one thing we know for sure: Fast and Furious 11 will be the last chance to bring back the real Roman Pearce.
Fast & Furious 11 Is The Last Chance To Make Roman A Serious Character Again
Tyrese Gibson’s Character Has Become A Joke Since His First Appearance
When Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) was introduced as Dom Toretto’s replacement in 2 Fast 2 Furious, audiences were greeted with a cool character; Brian’s childhood friend who had served time for stealing cars. Roman’s bitterness towards his friend for “switching sides” and becoming a cop, and his willingness to do anything for a pardon, showed that Roman had a strong personality from the beginning. In fact, some would even say that Roman and Brian’s friendship was way better than Brian and Dom’s in The Fast and Furious, as they were very funny together, and their petty friendship felt very natural.
Instead of being the cool character that laughed at others, Roman Pearce had become the ʙuтт of every joke.
Following 2 Fast 2 Furious, we were delighted to see Roman finally return to the franchise in Fast Five. Yet, unfortunately, Roman’s characterization had taken a turn. Instead of being the cool character that laughed at others, Roman Pearce had become the ʙuтт of every joke. The reason for this was probably down to the franchise needing a variety of personalities, and Roman’s earlier characterization took away from Dominic Toretto. However, with one final movie in the Fast saga, it may not be too late for the franchise to finally fix Roman’s character change with Fast and Furious 11.
Roman Was Always Funny, But Fast & Furious Turned Him Into Nothing But A Joke
Roman & Brian’s Comedy Was Brilliantly Done Without Diminishing Their Characters
While Roman Pearce was always a funny character, the Fast and Furious franchise simply reduced him to a joke. Comedy was the reason why Brian and Roman’s dynamic worked so well in 2 Fast 2 Furious, and this was so successfully done that the future Fast and Furious films try and replicate that same humor, approaching the franchise from a light-hearted perspective. Yet, in doing so, the Fast saga essentially nerfed Roman’s character on his return in Fast Five, making him nothing but the franchise’s comedic relief, which was very disappointing.
The Fast and Furious franchise seemingly understood Roman’s comedy was well-liked in his first appearance, so they decided to take it to the extreme. Now, instead of the cool Roman seen in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Roman has become a joke character that isn’t to be taken seriously. As this treatment has been prevalent throughout most of the Fast and Furious films, it looks unlikely this will change for the final installment. However, it would be nice to see the character treated seriously once more, even if it’s simply by Roman confirming his invincibility theory in Fast and Furious 11.
