The Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel), Brian O'Conner (Paul Walker), Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), and Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster). Two decades later, the film series is still going strong, with new and returning cast thrown into storylines that propel the stakes higher and higher.
Though Brian is no longer a core character, Dom and much of his long-running crew have made steady appearances in the franchise. The last installment, 2017's Luke Hobbs (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), before betraying them to assist cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron). Through her manipulation and actions in taking his young son hostage, Dom had no choice but to follow in her plans. That was until he orchestrated his own plan, saving his son and the ones he loved.
Dom and his crew were in the clear, but viewers knew the calm would be short-lived. With Cipher still out there, the eighth installment was surely teasing her imminent return. Not only will she be a primary antagonist again in F9, but she will be ed by Dom's brother, Jakob Toretto (John Cena), a character who wasn't known to exist until the movie's first trailer. In fact, the first-look footage spawned many questions, which hopefully F9 plans to answer.
Why Hasn't Dom Ever Mentioned Jakob?
Ever since why Dom acts like Jakob doesn't exist.
Why Is Mia Involved In F9, But Not Brian?
Due to tragic circumstances surrounding Walker's death, any legitimate presence from Brian following Furious 7 was made impossible. While there are technical ways to feature Brian, it could cross the line when it comes to the moral obligations of the cast and crew. Granted, Brian is said to be alive and well in The Fate of the Furious, and that's presumably the case in F9. Still, the character is missing from the action even though his wife, Mia, is aiding in Dom's mission. It's possible something happened to Brian since the eighth installment, or maybe Mia encouraged him to stay back while she assisted Dom's conflict with Jakob. Either way, it will become harder and harder to explain Brian's continued absence with the stakes becoming higher.
How Did Han Survive The Explosive Car Wreck?
Aside from the revelation surrounding Jakob, the biggest surprise within the F9 trailer was the return of Sung Kang's Han. The fan-favorite since his debut in Tokyo Drift was last seen in Fast & Furious 6, the movie that shed light on the character's presumed death. Despite being T-boned by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), resulting in an explosion, Han survived the fiery wreck. He then kept his survival hidden from Dom and the rest of the crew. While it's still unclear why he didn't reveal the truth, the other question surrounds how he survived what looked like a deadly wreck. One popular theory suggests Han escaped through a manhole before his car burst into flames, but F9 will hopefully shed more light on the mystery.
Which Other Fast & Furious Characters Will Return In F9?
In addition to Han, F9 features a few other Tokyo Drift characters, including Sean (Lucas Black), Twinkie (Bow Wow), and Earl (Jason Tobin). Unlike Han, who appeared in subsequent installments after his 2006 franchise debut, the trio was absent from a brief Furious 7 cameo from Black's character. With the reunion of sorts, it begs the question of what other surprises F9 has in store in of the cast. Now that the plot is culminating in a two-part finale, time is running out to bring back some familiar faces. While some fans expect Gal Gadot's Gisele to appear, others predict that Eva Mendes, Devon Aoki, or John Ortiz are more likely to return.
Where Are Hobbs And Shaw During The F9 Mission?
After Hobbs & Shaw. The duo, who initially viewed one another as enemies, put their differences aside to save Shaw's sister Hattie (Vanessa Kirby) while also taking down the villainous Brixton (Idris Elba) hell-bent on unleashing a deadly supervirus. Both Hobbs and Shaw survived the event, but they don't seem to be present for the action in F9. Unless the plot of F9 is said to take place during Hobbs & Shaw, the movie will need to explain why the two aren't involved this time around.
Why Is Cipher Still After Dom?
When Cipher first approached Dom in The Fate of the Furious, she manipulated him into betraying his own crew he considered family to help her. Her motive stemmed from the hope of starting a nuclear war after having Dom steal key intel and devices to carry out her plan. While Dom was presumably double-crossing his team, he also made moves to betray Cipher when the time was right. Though Elena was killed, Dom hired the Shaw brothers to recover his son before thwarting Cipher's plans in hijacking a Russian nuclear submarine. Cipher got away, but she clearly still harbors a hatred for Dom and his crew, seeing as she enlists the help of Jakob to kill her former associate. Though vengeance is a plausible motivation, there have to be more driving Cipher's actions.
Why Is Dom's Crew Going To Space?
Ever since the Pontiac Fiero-modified rocket car was shown in the first F9 trailer, there was a consensus pointing at the Fast & Furious franchise heading to space. While that may or may not be, the rocket car is made for a particular reason. Roman and Tej are the two shown in the rocket car in the second trailer, but the details surrounding the special mission remain unclear. Something obviously forces the group to go to greater lengths to get the upper hand on Cipher or Jakob, and high-speed flight looks to be the solution. If the duo does travel outside of the atmosphere, it will mark a first for The Fast Saga while opening the door for even wilder stunts in future installments.
Will Ramsey Ever Learn How To Drive?
For the duration of the long-lasting franchise, it seemed like a prerequisite for F9 is Ramsey's third franchise appearance, it's time for the character to get some lessons from some of the world's best drivers.
What's Left For The Final Two Fast & Furious Installments?
All things must come to an end, and that includes The Fast Saga's irable run. Already spanning two decades, the Fast & Furious franchise's primary saga will conclude with a two-part event marked by a tenth and eleventh installment. Depending on what happens in F9, something will need to happen for Dom and the others to come together for a final high stakes mission in an Avengers: Endgame-esque storyline. If the series can create a never before mentioned brother of the central character in the ninth movie, there are certainly many avenues the franchise can still explore. Still, the primary story will need to come to a close while allowing the possibilities for continued Fast & Furious spinoffs. If Dom survives to the very end, something drastic would need to make him retires for good.
