The Fast & Furious franchise gets a new update from Vin Diesel, who teases that a “precursor” to Fast X: Part 2
is in the works. After the release of the debut installment in the franchise back in 2001, Diesel’s Dominic Toretto has returned in close to ten sequels and shorts. The character was most recently seen in 2023’s Fast X facing off against Jason Momoa’s Dante, and it has since been confirmed that Fast X: Part 2 is in the works and set to release in 2026, potentially bringing the entire saga to an end.
Diesel now takes to Instagram to share a new image of himself with Letty actor Michelle Rodriguez, teasing that another Fast & Furious project could arrive before Fast X: Part 2. Diesel likens the project to the Los Bandoleros short film he directed in 2009, and calls it a “precursor,” revealing that the studio has also asked him to once again direct. Though he doesn’t share story details, he hints that he would like to film it somewhere “truly exotic,” mentioning the Middle Eastern desert locations used to film Furious 7 (2015). Check out Diesel’s post and caption below:
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I am reminded of that critical moment in the Fast franchise, where we had just wrapped the fourth film…
The studio asked me to direct the precursor to the film, to explain where Dom had been in between the first and the fourth film.
It was called Los Bandoleros.
Now, all these years later, the request has come in again for me to direct the precursor, to the finale.
Because it is now the world’s saga, I am encouraged to film somewhere else, truly exotic…
One of the locations we were fortunate enough to film in for Fast Seven was the Middle East. Which ended up being our most global film, just shy of two billion dollars in the box office.
My one regret was that we never got to film deep in the desert.
Furious 7 grossed $1.5 billion at the box office, meaning it was $500 million short of $2 billion.
What Diesel’s Post Means For Fast & Furious
How A Prequel Could Fit Into The Franchise
Diesel’s post raises several questions. Los Bandoleros was about 20 minutes long and was included as part of the Blu-ray release for Fast & Furious (2009). It helped to explain what Dom was up to between the events of the first movie and the fourth, chronicling his planning of a fuel tanker heist in the Dominican Republic. Direct-to-video short films that serve as prequels to major blockbusters aren’t exactly common anymore, though, and it’s unclear whether this “precursor” will adopt the same release strategy as Los Bandoleros. Perhaps it will be released directly onto YouTube instead.
The second major question is just what this precursor project will be about. Dom’s story after the Fast X cliffhanger ending, after all, will seemingly be resolved in Fast X: Part 2. It’s worth noting, however, that Diesel has used the term “finale” to refer to not just the final film, but the grouping of both Fast X and Fast X: Part 2. This means that a “precursor to the finale” could actually be a prequel to Fast X, perhaps explaining what Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) was doing prior to his surprise appearance in the post-credits scene.
In addition to directing Los Bandoleros, Diesel directed a 2012 episode of a TV show called The Ropes, a 1995 short called Multi-Facial, as well as a 1997 feature film called Strays.
Our Take On Diesel’s Fast & Furious Finale Prequel
Is A Precursor Really Necessary?
As with previous Diesel social media posts, this latest reveal creates more confusion about the Fast & Furious franchise’s future. Diesel, at one point, teased that the franchise’s finale could consist of three movies instead of two, and this doesn’t include the announced Hobbs Fast & Furious spinoff movie, which is seemingly stuck in development. Fast X reviews were mixed from critics and the film’s box office was underwhelming given its mᴀssive budget, and it feels like it’s time to wrap this saga up with one triumphant final installment.
Getting a short film in front of general audiences can be challenging, especially since these types of projects lack the same production and promotional budgets as major feature films that are theatrically released. A prequel to the Fast & Furious finale could make for some fun franchise bonus content, but, if it’s crucial to explaining some piece of backstory, it could also make Fast X: Part 2 confusing for any audiences that don’t watch it. In any case, it seems that more Fast & Furious material is on the way.
Source: Vin Diesel
