The Fast & Furious franchise should definitely return to its street racing roots, but I don’t think it should happen while Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto is still around. The first movie in the Fast & Furious franchise, which was released in 2001, revolved around the dynamic between an undercover cop and a criminal in Los Angeles, and was largely focused on the city’s street racing scene. How big the franchise would become would have been impossible to predict way back in 2001, but Diesel’s Dominic Toretto and Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner have since become iconic characters.
After forming a brotherly bond in the first film, which continued throughout the franchise, Brian unfortunately had to be written out of the series after Walker’s tragic death in 2013. Ever since The Fate of the Furious, Dom has been the main character in the Fast & Furious franchise. The most recent movies in the long-running series have treated Dom more like a superhero than a human being. While they are still entertaining, the Fast & Furious movies have become incredibly unrealistic, and have strayed far from the franchise’s street racing roots.
It’s Too Late For Fast & Furious 11 To Be Any Different From The Last Few Movies
Fast & Furious 11 Should Be More Extreme, Rather Than More Grounded
After the cliffhanger ending of Fast X, Fast & Furious 11 has been confirmed and is supposed to start shooting in the summer of 2025. Anticipation is high for Fast & Furious 11, especially since it has been confirmed to be the last movie in the franchise. Since it is the last movie in the series, it has also been reported that it will return to the franchise’s street racing roots. If this is true, this means that Fast & Furious 11 may include less over-the-top action and more grounded stunts, similar to the first film in the series.
While some fans would welcome this change after seeing how extreme the franchise has gotten, I actually think it would be a mistake for Fast & Furious 11 to be more grounded. If anything, it should be the biggest movie yet since it is supposedly the last film in the franchise. The most recent movies in the series have consistently tried to one-up each other, so it would be strange if the final film suddenly has way fewer stunts and action sequences.
Furthermore, after the most recent movies in the franchise, it would be weird if Dom and the other characters just suddenly acted like normal human beings in Fast & Furious 11. For better or worse, most of the characters in the Fast & Furious franchise are essentially superheroes. They have all pulled off insane stunts and defied death on numerous occasions. Therefore, instead of backtracking on the recent trajectory of the franchise, Fast & Furious 11 might as well go all in and strive to be the most action-packed entry in the series.
If Fast 11 Is The End Of Toretto’s Story, Fast & Furious Can Start Fresh In The Next Movie
Fast & Furious 11 Can Give Dom & His Crew Their Perfect Ending
Dom considers all the members of his crew his family, but he has also built a different kind of family in the most recent films. Dom is living a happy life with Letty and his son Brian. However, their lives are put in danger in Fast X when Dante Reyes vows to make Dom pay for the death of his father, which happened in Fast Five. Even though there will probably be some casualties in the upcoming Fast & Furious 11, it is likely that most of Dom’s crew and immediate family will survive the events of the film.
Even though Fast & Furious 11 will end Dom’s story, the franchise could definitely still continue.
There has undoubtedly been tragedy in the Fast & Furious franchise, but the series overall has a positive tone. Therefore, it would be shocking if a lot of the main characters died in the final film. More than likely, Dom, his immediate family, and his crew will ride off into the sunset together at the end of Fast & Furious 11. This would be the most fitting ending for Dom and his crew, but this doesn’t necessarily mean the series has to end. Even though Fast & Furious 11 will end Dom’s story, the franchise could definitely still continue.
The Fast & Furious IP Is Too Big To End For Good After Fast & Furious 11
The Fast & Furious Franchise Can Continue Without Dom
It would actually be a mistake if the franchise didn’t continue after Fast & Furious 11, since it is one of the biggest series in Hollywood. Even though the franchise is not necessarily at its height anymore, the last three Fast & Furious movies have all grossed more than $700 million at the worldwide box office. Since Fast & Furious 11 will likely be marketed as the last movie in the franchise, it’s likely that it will also reach this impressive milestone, and potentially even make more money.
Therefore, even though it is time to end the story of Dom and the other characters in the series, the entire franchise doesn’t necessarily have to end. After Dom and the members of his crew embark on their final mission in Fast & Furious 11, the next movie in the series could be a soft reboot with a brand-new set of characters. Therefore, Fast & Furious 12 would actually be the perfect time for the franchise to return to its street racing roots, rather than the film that is meant to be an explosive finale to the long-running series.
Fast & Furious 12 Should Be A Soft Reboot With New Characters
Fast & Furious 12 Can Start A New Era For The Franchise
I think sending Dom and the other characters out on a high in Fast & Furious 11 and then softly rebooting the franchise is the best course of action. Even though many fans have complained about the franchise’s unrealistic stunts in recent movies, it is far too late to suddenly make another grounded street racing film. However, after Dom and his crew get a proper farewell, then the twelfth entry in the series could be marketed as a return to form for the Fast & Furious franchise.
|
Every Fast & Furious Movie |
Worldwide Box Office |
RT Critics Score |
|---|---|---|
|
The Fast and the Furious (2001) |
$206,458,372 |
55% |
|
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) |
$236,410,607 |
37% |
|
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) |
$157,794,205 |
38% |
|
Fast & Furious (2009) |
$359,347,833 |
29% |
|
Fast Five (2011) |
$629,975,898 |
78% |
|
Fast & Furious 6 (2013) |
$789,300,444 |
71% |
|
Furious 7 (2015) |
$1,511,986,364 |
82% |
|
The Fate of the Furious (2017) |
$1,235,534,014 |
67% |
|
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) |
$760,732,926 |
67% |
|
F9: The Fast Saga (2021) |
$719,360,068 |
59% |
|
Fast X (2023) |
$714,375,114 |
57% |
Fast & Furious 12 could follow a new set of characters and revolve around a much lower-stakes mission than the recent entries in the saga. Instead of focusing on creating the biggest action sequences possible, Fast & Furious 12 could be a character drama similar to the first film. But for now, I think allowing Dom to be a superhero-like figure is the right move for Fast & Furious 11. Then, after he has received a proper ending, it will be the right time for the Fast & Furious franchise to return to its street racing roots.
Fast & Furious
- Movie(s)
-
The Fast And The Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, Hobbs and Shaw, F9: The Fast Saga, Fast X, Hobbs and Shaw 2, Fast X: Part 2
- First Film
-
The Fast And The Furious
- Cast
-
Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Lucas Black, Sung Kang, Bow Wow, Jordana Brewster, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, John Cena
- Character(s)
-
Dominic Toretto, Brian O’Conner, Letty Ortiz, Roman Pearce, Monica Fuentes, Sean Boswell, Han Lue, Twinkie, Mia Toretto, Luke Hobbs, Deckard Shaw, Cipher, Brixton Lore, Jakob Toretto
- Video Game(s)
-
The Fast and the Furious (2004), The Fast and the Furious (2006), Fast & Furious: SuperCars, Fast & Furious: Showdown, Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious, Fast & Furious Crossroads
