I’m worried that Fast & Furious 11 won’t be able to provide a satisfying conclusion to the long-running franchise. The first Fast & Furious movie was released in 2001, and introduced now-iconic characters like Dom, Brian, and Letty. However, since the franchise has been going on for so long, it has changed in a lot of ways. For example, the early Fast & Furious movies were primarily focused on street racing, whereas the most recent films in the series prioritize over-the-top action and crazy stunts.
However, it has been reported that the upcoming Fast & Furious 11 will return to the franchise’s street racing roots. It makes sense for the final Fast & Furious movie to honor the first film in the series, but I’m still not confident that Fast & Furious 11 can top some of the best endings of the franchise. For example, the endings of Furious 7 and F9: The Fast Saga are specifically very well-done and emotional. Therefore, I’m doubtful that Fast & Furious 11 can pull off another emotional ending that also feels definitive.
Fast & Furious Had A Lot Of Perfect Finales (But The Franchise Continued Anyway)
The Fast & Furious Franchise Could Have Ended At Many Points
As the series started to embrace action more than its street racing roots, Fast & Furious became one of the biggest franchises in Hollywood. Based on its box office success, it’s not a surprise that the franchise has lasted so long. However, the Fast & Furious franchise realistically could have ended with the seventh, eighth, or ninth entry. In fact, there were actually talks about ending the franchise with Furious 7 since Paul Walker’s tragic death leads to Dom and Brian going their separate ways.
However, Vin Diesel ultimately decided to continue the franchise past Furious 7 to honor Walker. Surprisingly, The Fate of the Furious and F9 also provided satisfying conclusions. At the end of The Fate of the Furious, Dom and his crew enjoy a barbecue together in New York. Meanwhile, at the end of F9, the main crew once again gather for a barbecue. However, in this film, they are joined by Brian. Despite these emotionally satisfying endings, the Fast & Furious franchise has continued.
Fast & Furious 11’s Ending Will Have To Feel Definitive, This Time For Real
Fast & Furious 11 Shouldn’t Repeat Previous Endings
If Fast & Furious 11 wants to convince fans that it actually is the final film in the franchise, then it needs to have an ending that actually feels definitive. Many fans would argue that having another barbecue is the perfect ending for Fast & Furious 11. However, since several movies in the series have ended with a barbecue, it wouldn’t be very effective. The death of Dom at the end of Fast & Furious 11 would justify the franchise completely ending, but I don’t think this will happen.
Every Fast & Furious Movie |
RT Critics Score |
---|---|
The Fast and the Furious (2001) |
55% |
2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) |
37% |
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006) |
38% |
Fast & Furious (2009) |
29% |
Fast Five (2011) |
78% |
Fast & Furious 6 (2013) |
71% |
Furious 7 (2015) |
82% |
The Fate of the Furious (2017) |
67% |
Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw (2019) |
67% |
F9: The Fast Saga (2021) |
59% |
Fast X (2023) |
57% |
Therefore, I truly believe Fast & Furious 11 will have a very hard time pulling off a satisfying ending for the franchise that also feels definitive. This is one of the main downsides of a franchise that seems to never stop. Since Dom and the other Fast & Furious characters have always returned in the past, the final movie in the series needs to do extra work to prove to fans that there is no reason for them to return again. This won’t be easy, which is why I’m worried about the ending of Fast & Furious 11.