Fast & Furious 11 has the potential to end the franchise on a high note, but it needs to leave one long-running trend behind. The previous installment, Fast X, is the first part of the series’ grand finale and, in 2023, left audiences in anticipation of what comes next. Its shocking cliffhanger means Fast X: Part 2 needs to deliver a satisfying ending to one of Hollywood’s most entertaining franchises.
Since 2001’s The Fast and the Furious, the movies have transformed into over-the-top action extravaganzas. What started as a simple story about an undercover cop investigating a crew of street-racing criminals has evolved into a global phenomenon, with 10 movies and a spin-off film. Dominic Toretto and his family have become action icons, performing physics-defying stunts to save the world.
As the franchise has expanded, so has Dom’s family. Every film has introduced more and more characters into the fold, including new allies and enemies. While it’s always great to see many of Hollywood’s best action stars join this franchise, it’s getting hard to keep track of every character, and the finale needs to keep things simple rather than complicating the plot further.
Fast 11 Doesn’t Need More New Characters
The original 2001 film already had a large cast, but mainly introduced series regulars like Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster. The next few films brought in more recurring characters, like Tyrese Gibson’s Roman Pearce, Ludacris’ Tej Parker, and Sung Kang’s Han Lue.
While the franchise was somewhat popular during the 2000s, it didn’t become an international sensation until 2011’s Fast Five, which brought Dwayne Johnson into the series as Luke Hobbs. Fast Five became the model for the series, and every film since has gotten larger and more ridiculous. As the scale has expanded, so has the number of characters.
Furious 7 brought in Jason Statham, Kurt Russell, and Nathalie Emmanuel. The Fate of the Furious introduced Charlize Theron as a recurring villain, along with Dom’s secret son, Marcos, and John Cena joined F9 as Dom’s estranged brother. Even Hollywood icons like Helen Mirren and Rita Moreno have become part of the family, adding some prestige to the Fast cast.
However, the constant roster expansion didn’t stop in Fast X, as Jason Momoa, Brie Larson, Alan Ritchson, and Daniela Melchior all joined the cast. While all of these actors are welcome additions to the franchise, it can be exhausting keeping track of who these characters are and how they connect to each character.
For example, Larson’s character is the daughter of Russell’s character, and Melchior’s character is the sister of Marcos’ mother, who was killed by Theron’s character. It could be easy for franchise newcomers to get lost in the details, and even series regulars may have a tough time keeping track of all of these players.
Fast X: Part 2 will have a mᴀssive cast, and it’ll be even bigger than its predecessor, now that Gal Gadot and Johnson are returning. However, it needs to keep the cast as is, since more characters will make the finale more complicated than it already is. The focus needs to remain on the established crew, giving them all satisfying endings that wrap up the story.
The Fast Finale Needs To Keep The Focus On The OG Characters
One of the more disappointing aspects of Fast X was that the main crew was not together for very long. After the bomb chase in Rome, the family is mostly separated on separate missions. Letty went to prison with Theron’s Cipher, Dom dealt with Momoa’s Dante, and the others went to London to seek help from Statham’s Deckard Shaw.
The movie’s plot was all over the place, and that’s partly because so many characters are included in the film’s narrative. It struggled to find ways to give every character something meaningful to do, and that’s been a common issue in past films. However, audiences keep returning to see the main group of heroes, not a constantly changing roster.
Fast & Furious 11 still doesn’t have a release date.
The main crew is the heart of these films, and Fast 11 needs to prioritize keeping them together, especially since it’s the finale. Their chemistry makes the Fast films more enticing, as it’s easy to connect with a crew that has a strong bond. Fortunately, the next film is moving in the right direction in reuniting the best ensemble.
Johnson and Gadot returning is exciting, since Fast Five and Fast and Furious 6 are two of the best films in the franchise. Johnson’s absence in the last two movies was noticeable, especially since the last two films made significant drops at the box office from Fate of the Furious‘ $1.2 billion worldwide gross.
Diesel also confirmed that Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner will return for the finale, fully restoring the original crew. How this reunion will happen is still unclear, but it could be similar to how Furious 7 finished Walker’s arc after his death in 2013. Fast 11 will certainly have too many characters, but keeping the central family together will be a huge part of the film’s success.
