One The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift casting decision quietly changed the course of the Fast & Furious franchise. Over the years, the Fast & Furious movies have temporarily switched their point of view. For instance, Hobbs & Shaw followed Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, both of whom headlined their own spin-off.

The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift has been one of the franchise’s boldest installments, as it veered away from established characters to introduce entirely new leads. Set in Japan, Tokyo Drift followed Lucas Black’s Sean Boswell and Sung Kang’s Han Lue. Whereas Han became a recurring character right afterward, Sean only returned until F9, where he had a minor appearance.

Channing Tatum Botched His Tokyo Drift Audition

Channing Tatum Could Have Played Tokyo Drift’s Sean Boswell

Magic Mike star Channing Tatum auditioned for The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift‘s protagonist role. In a 2016 interview with Jimmy Kimmel (via EW), Tatum confessed he blew his Tokyo Drift audition, which he described as the worst audition in his career. According to Tatum, he forgot his lines and felt extremely nervous, leading to a poor performance.

Channing Tatum’s Rising Stardom Could Have Made Him A Recurring Fast & Furious Character

Channing Tatum’s Star Power Could Have Given Sean Boswell A Permanent Role

Despite Tokyo Drift‘s positive word-of-mouth, Lucas Black chose to focus on smaller projects and a long-term TV role on NCIS: New Orleans. Lucas Black’s absence from major Hollywood films made it easier for the franchise to revert to familiar faces. Sean Boswell’s brief return in F9 was a nod to fans, but he announced his retirement from acting shortly afterward.

Interestingly, the Fast & Furious franchise could have taken a different path if Channing Tatum had aced his audition. Had he been cast, Tatum’s growing star power could have made Sean Boswell a recurring character even before Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham joined the series. Tatum’s natural charisma and box office appeal could have transformed Sean into a fan-favorite hero.

Tokyo Drift’s Sean Boswell Was Primed For A Bigger Role In The Fast & Furious Franchise

Tokyo Drift Set Up Sean Boswell To Be A Major Character

After Tokyo Drift‘s final scene, Sean seemed destined for bigger stories, either leading future sequels or joining Dom’s crew. However, Sean only reappears in F9 more than a decade later in a scaled-back capacity, and more surprisingly, as a tech specialist. It’s a puzzling shift for a character who was once all about behind-the-wheel skill and street credibility.

Although Tokyo Drift is the lowest-grossing film in the Fast franchise, it has left a deep imprint on the saga. It introduced the fan-favorite Han Lue and established Japan’s underground car culture as a pivotal part of the series’ idenтιтy. Still, it’s curious that Tokyo Drift‘s lead character has been largely sidelined when several other characters have received much bigger roles.