Fast and Furious 11is set to be the final entry in this long-running franchise, and Vin Diesel seems to be hinting towards a long-awaited character return that already has me split on the decision. While very fewdetails aboutFast 11have been released, the film will be a direct sequel to the previous installment, which saw Dom and his friends fight against newcomer villain Dante Reyes - the son ofFast Five’s Hernan Reyes. It’s a grand tale of revenge and justice, which should all come to a head in the next film.
Throughout the most recentFast and Furiousmovies,the franchise has been making a habit of bringing back old charactersthat were long considered gone forever. First, it was Han Lue inF9,whose death inTokyo Driftwas retconned after 15 years, and then it was Gisele Yashar, who was also brought back from certain death at the end ofFast X. There are also rumors ofDevon Aoki’s Suki from2 Fastmaking a comeback. While these have all been controversial decisions, it now seems likely that they’re building towards a major reunion for the final installment.
Vin Diesel’s Fast & Furious 11 Tease Is Another Tease Of Brian’s Return
The Actor Paid Tribute To His Friend Paul Walker
Vin Diesel recently took to Instagram to write a tribute for his old friend Paul Walker, who played Brian O’Conner in the first half of theFast and Furiousfranchise. The character was written out of the story inFurious 7after Walker’s tragic death in a car accident. However, in Vin Diesel’s post, he writes: “I will have to brace myself for this next film.” While this could simply be recognition of their once-shared project coming to an end, this has me convinced that Brian will be back.
Vin Diesel’s post is a clear tease of Brian’s return, which is something that many fans have been speculating for a long time. Brian has been the face of this franchise from the very beginning, and whileToretto is clearly the protagonist now, I don’t think it would feel right to wrap this story up without O’Conner playing a tangible role. The character still lives on in theFast and Furiousuniverse despite his absence, and the franchise hasn’t been afraid to use CGI to replicate his likeness in the past.
Fast & Furious Has Been Setting Up Brian’s Return For Years
The Character Has A Lingering Presence In Franchise
This tease doesn’t come as too much of a surprise, however, as hints towards Brian’s return have been littered throughout the past fewFast and Furiousmovies - whether it’s Toretto naming his child after his old friend, the multiple conversations that have taken place about where the character is now, or the appearance of his car at the end ofF9. The latter is certainly the strongest argument for Brian’s return, as it proves that he’s still around and in contact with his friends.
15 Things I Learned Rewatching All Fast & Furious Movies In Order
Rewatching all Fast and Furious movies in order reveals a lot about the saga, including why the timeline is so confusing and why it changed so much.
Even following Walker’s untimely death,Fast and Furioushas never shied away from the fact that Brian was the protagonist of this franchise.Despite his physical absence, he’s been present in every sequel sinceFurious 7in spirit, through emotional conversations or subtle easter eggs that prove he’s still around. To bring the franchise to a close without paying off these references would be a missed opportunity that leaves the most important character’s storyline unresolved.
Brian’s Return In Fast & Furious 11 Is A Necessary Risk
Bringing Brian Back Could Be Controversial
Understandably, bringing Brian back inFast & Furious 11would be a huge risk.The use of CGI to replicate Walker’s face would be hugely controversial- but it’s certainly not unprecedented. Not only hasFast and Furiousdone it before at the end ofFurious 7, but it’s become a Hollywood trend that’s happening more and more frequently.Star Warshas become a major proponent of this, using CGI to resurrect late actors Peter Cushing and Carrie Fisher, andAlien: Romulusbrought Ian Holm backwith the same technology.
His emotional goodbye at the end ofFurious 7would have been sufficient if his story had ended there, but the franchise has referenced him several times since then, implying that his journey isn’t over.
There would be backlash ifFast and Furiousfollowed in their footsteps, but I can’t imagine a satisfying way to wrap this franchise up without Brian O’Conner being involved to some extent. His emotional goodbye at the end ofFurious 7would have been sufficient if his story had ended there, but the franchise has referenced him several times since then, implying that his journey isn’t over. To ignore his character inFast and Furious 11after all those teases would be a huge letdown.
Fast and Furious 11
Cast
Fast X: Part 2 is the final movie in the Fast Saga. It reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto with the rest of the cast for one last ride. However, the franchise is open for spinoff films like Hobbs & Shaw afterward.
