(Updated 05/15/2023)
The FAST AND THE FURIOUS series has had an incredible 20-year race, and the movies aren't slowing down yet! Following the 2021 release of F9, the tenth official movie (not counting the HOBBS & SHAW spinoff) is here.
The major Fast Saga cast returns for FAST X, and there are some new members of the family and at least one new enemy, too. And we don't have to speculate about some big details because the FAST X trailers tell us quite a few big story points. Here's everything we know about FAST X.
When Does Fast X Come Out?
FAST X will open exclusively in movie theatres on May 19.
Watch the New Fast X Trailer
There's been a lot of speculation about where the FAST movies go as they race towards the end of the main saga, and this trailer helps clear things up. Rather than going further away from Earth, the focus is, as always, on family.
Dom may not go to space, but he'll have to contend with a heavy hitter: The gangster son of drug lord Hernan Reyes, last seen in FAST FIVE. Left for dead during the epic street chase and bank vault heist in that movie, this guy seems to think that Dom and his friends only enjoy their sprawling family and nice life because of what they stole. Maybe he's got a point!
In addition to all that plot setup, what exactly is going on at the end of the trailer? Why are Cipher and Letty seemingly trapped and also fighting? (Well, the reason for the fight is pretty clear.)
What Is Fast X About?
The story of any FAST sequel is always kept fairly secret while the movies are in production. But now the trailers reveal the core story — or at least seem to. Dante, the angry gangster, is working with Cipher, perhaps enabled by her resources and technology. Clearly, Dom's son is kidnapped at one point, but we don't know if that is the story's inciting action, or if that takes place late in the story.
Be Ready for a Cliffhanger Ending
The tagline for FAST X, "the end of the road begins," references the fact that this movie and the soon-to-follow eleventh movie in the series are meant to be the end of the main storyline. Since that is the case, we figure there's a very good chance that FAST X will end on a cliffhanger moment that makes us desperate to see the final chapter.
Who Is in the Fast X Cast?
It probably goes without saying that Vin Diesel returns as Dominic "Dom" Toretto, the one-time criminal and street racer who has settled down with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez, also returning) and son Brian Marcos (Leo Abelo Perry).
Some of Dom's regular compatriots are back, too: Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej Parker, Jordana Brewster as Mia Toretto, Dom's sister and a member of his team, Nathalie Emmanuel as British computer hacktivist Ramsey, Sung Kang as Han Lue, Michael Rooker as Buddy, and an auto mechanic who worked with Dom's father. We're hoping that Anna Sawai, who played Han's surrogate daughter Elle in F9, will return, too. So far there is no official word on that front.
We do know about many exciting additions to the Fast Family beginning in FAST X. Oscar-winner Rita Moreno, who won her Academy Award for the original WEST SIDE STORY and also appeared in Steven Spielberg's new version, will play Dom's grandmother. In an Instagram post, Vin Diesel said, "It’s been my dream forever to work with Rita Moreno, and the fact that she’s here playing my grandmother makes my soul smile."
In addition, Cardi B is back as her character Leysa, who only had a very brief appearance during her introduction in F9. Daniela Melchior has signed on to play a street racer with ties to Dante, and Brie Larson plays Tess, a rogue agent tied to Kurt Russell's character, Mr. Nobody. Alan Ritchson, the star of Amazon's "Reacher" series, has been cast as well. And, of course, Charlize Theron returns as the arch-criminal and cyberterrorist Cipher. (If you're counting that makes four Oscar-winning women in the cast.) Oh, and there's one more major addition to the enemies of the Fast Family…
Who Is the Villain in Fast X?
Jason Momoa plays the villain in FAST X. As mentioned above, his character, Dante, has ties to the events of FAST FIVE, and this movie will flash back to that time in the characters' lives, just as the end of FAST & FURIOUS 6 used footage from TOKYO DRIFT to reveal that Deckard Shaw had been responsible for Han's supposed death.
Dante works with Cipher, but in true FAST AND FURIOUS style we expect that there's more than a slim chance that we'll see Dante siding with Dom and his family by the time everything is over.
Gal Gadot Returns… Maybe
At least one scene was filmed with Gal Gadot, who played Gisele until the character's demise in the sixth movie. Since this movie flashes back to FAST FIVE, when Gisele was a key part of Dom's team, it makes sense that they'd want to create a new flashback scene featuring Gadot. We know that versions of FAST X with and without this scene were shown to test audiences at the end of 2022. We don't know whether or not the scene will make the final cut, however.
Who Is Directing Fast X?
The biggest news in the Fast world is that Justin Lin, who made five of the ten movies in the series, stepped away from directing FAST X. That would be notable under any circumstances. Since he dropped out while the movie was filming, the news was a bombshell.
Now Louis Leterrier has stepped in to direct FAST X. Previously, he directed NOW YOU SEE ME, the Ed Norton INCREDIBLE HULK, and, perhaps most notably, the early Jason Statham hit THE TRANSPORTER. Justin Lin's work was a big factor in elevating the Fast Franchise from mid-tier action movies to a globally popular series, so his touch will certainly be missed. (He remains on board as a producer.)
Will Fast X Be the Last Fast and Furious Movie?
FAST X is not the last movie! The tenth movie FAST X was once expected to be the last official chapter. That has changed. A follow-up — potentially billed as "Fast X Part 2" or something similar — is in development. Currently, it is planned for a 2024 release date. We do not know if most of the 11th movie is being filmed at the same time as FAST X.
But that's not all! At the FAST X premiere in Rome, Vin Diesel said that there are actually two more chapters coming, rather than one. Basically, the FAST SAGA could end with an epic trilogy rather than a pair of movies.
In addition, more spinoffs in the vein of HOBBS & SHAW are in development. We do not know which characters they will feature. News about those movies will come out in the months to come. We're as curious as you are to know who will lead the next films!
We'll have more to report about FAST X soon!
All images courtesy of Universal Pictures.