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10 Harsh Realities Of Watching Fast Five After 12 Years & 5 More Sequels

Summary
Roman’s comedic antics have become tiresome and he has become a burden to Dom’s team. His character needs to either dial back his freakouts or sit out future adventures.
Ending Dom’s story believably will be challenging because his rebellious and thrill-seeking nature makes it difficult for him to settle into a quiet domestic life.
Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs has been instrumental in the franchise’s popularity, injecting fresh blood and a sense of semi-believability to the action scenes. The absence of his charismatic presence in the main series is noticeable.

Fast Five is a very significant movie in the Fast & Furious franchise, but 12 years after its release, it highlights some major issues the series has encountered. Released in 2011, Fast Five follows Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) as they lead their family of street racers on a heist in Rio de Janeiro. In addition to facing the city’s criminal underworld, Dom and co. must also contend with another enemy in the form of pursuing DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson).
Directed by Justin Lin, Fast Five would leapfrog the Fast & Furious franchise to become a genuine action movie titan. However, despite the new life granted to the series by the grear impact of Fast Five, it also brings to light areas where the Fast Saga has taken some wrong turns since. These are just some of the brutal truths that come with revisiting Fast Five.
RELATED: Fast Five Is The Avengers Movie Vin Diesel Has Been Trying To Replicate For 12 Years

10 Roman No Longer Fits In Dom’s Team

Roman having a drink in Fast and Furious

As the Fast Saga itself has evolved, so has its ensemble of characters. However, one person who has taken several steps in the wrong direction has been Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson). First introduced in 2 Fast 2 Furious with the same no-nonsense attitude as Dom, Roman would become the comic relief of the Fast & Furious series in Fast Five. However, the Fast Saga has since taken Roman’s comedic antics much too far.
Instead of delivering one-liners in the midst of car chases and stunts, Roman regularly goes into an over-the-top panic in the Fast Saga’s increasingly outlandish action scenes, and his screaming in terror in such situations has been as tiresome as it is predictable. It also makes Roman much more of a burden to Dom’s team. Future installments of the Fast Saga need Roman to either dial his freakouts back or sit out future adventures with Dom and co.

9 Ending Dom’s Story Will Be Hard To Do Believably

Vin Diesel as Dom in Fast X

Dominic Toretto is clearly built for his rebellious lifestyle. Indeed, since Fast Five, the Fast Saga has shown the franchise’s adventures to be a central part of who Dominic Toretto is as a person. That means that a definitive ending for the Fast & Furious series will be that much harder to execute believably due to Dom’s predilection for adventure.
Since Fast & Furious 6, each Fast & Furious movie has opened with Dom settling into some degree of retirement, only for a new mission to call him to action once again. While this is often due to Dom’s devotion to his family, it also shows that Dom is an innate thrill seeker even after becoming a father. Creating a scenario where Dominic Toretto would believably settle into a quiet domestic life for good is going to be as great a challenge for the Fast Saga as finding ways to one-up F9’s space travel.

8 The Rock Is Instrumental To The Franchise’s Popularity

Dwayne Johnson as Hobbs holding a gun in Fast & Furious franchise

In its first four installments, the Fast Saga was a blip on the action movie radar at best. Fast Five would take the franchise to the new heights, partly by elevating its action far beyond the stakes of street racing, while Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs would also inject some fresh blood into the Fast Saga. As it turns out, The Rock is one of the most crucial pillars of the Fast & Furious franchise.
Since Furious 7, the Fast Saga has gone more overboard than ever; while The Rock’s Hobbs gave it a sense of semi-believability with his more grounded (by Fast & Furious standards) stunts and fight scenes. With Hobbs absent entirely from F9 and only appearing in an end-credit cameo in Fast X, both films would fly off the rails to a ridiculous degree. With Johnson’s charismatic screen presence also missing from the main series, while being on full display in the spin-off Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, it has become clear just how much he adds to the Fast Saga.

7 The Theme Of Family Has Been Overplayed

The Fast and the Furious family BBQ at the end of F9.

If the Fast & Furious franchise could be boiled down to a single word, it would, of course, be “family”. Right from the beginning of the series in The Fast & the Furious, Dom has built a tight group of fellow street racers and outlaws like himself, with their familial bond being unbreakable. Fast Five would be where the franchise’s family theme would be really solidified with Dom and co.’s heist, but since then, the concept has gradually lost much of its power.
To be sure, Fast & Furious 6 and Furious 7 would use the family concept well. However, much of the cast has come and gone in subsequent Fast & Furious movies, with Dom’s family usually somewhat broken up. Moreover, a quote about family in a Fast & Furious movie has become as predictable as Uncle Ben admonishing Spider-Man about the importance of responsibility, indicating just how over-reliant the Fast Saga has been on the idea.
RELATED: Fast Five’s Most Important Fast & Furious Legacy Is Not What You Think

6 The Fast Saga Missed Its Perfect Ending (But Still Could’ve Continued After It)

Vin diesel Fast X paul walker fast and furious 7

The tragic death of Paul Walker in 2013 would occur in the middle of production on 2015’s Furious 7, and director James Wan would reconfigure the movie to serve as a farewell to both Walker himself and Brian O’Connor. Furious 7’s final scene is perhaps the most emotional of the whole Fast & Furious series, with Dom and Brian going on one last street race and Brian riding off into the sunset. In hindsight, this moment would also have been the perfect time to conclude the Fast Saga.
However, that is not to say that franchise could not have continued in a different fashion, specifically with a slightly reworked approach to Hobbs & Shaw. With Furious 7 having established the pair’s rivalry, Hobbs & Shaw could have easily transitioned the franchise into a new phase with spin-offs taking center stage. In this way, the Fast & Furious franchise could have had its cake and eaten it too with a definitively concluded main series and a new one picking up after it.

5 The Fast Saga Needs To Have Real Stunts

Fast Five bus chase pic

The Fast & Furious franchise would begin with street racing, but Fast Five would bring a dramatic boost of energy to the action sequences of the series. Fast Five would be packed with fight scenes, chases, and car stunts galore, a major factor in the movie becoming such a breakout hit. Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, and Hobbs & Shaw would follow the same action movie template to great results, but the later films of the franchise have gone a different path.
With the essence of the Fast Saga’s action being all about escalation, each Fast & Furious movie has aggressively strived to outdo its predecessor. However, that also called upon The Fate of the Furious, F9, and Fast X to become far more reliant on CGI and camera trickery than the style of authentic action that would make Fast Five such a hit. With Fast Five’s vault heist among the best action sequences of modern times, it exemplifies the need for high-octane stunts in any Fast & Furious movie.

4 The Fast Saga Only Has Two Great Villains

Dante standing in an alley in Fast X.

For as endearing a cast of heroes as the Fast Saga has, the franchise has not been nearly as successful in creating memorable villains. Charlize Theron’s Cipher has become a recurring foe for Dom and his family since The Fate of the Furious, but she has also largely been a manipulator with her henchmen doing most of her dirty work. In all, the Fast Saga has only managed to deliver two villains as memorable as its heroes, namely Idris Elba’s Brixton Lore and Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes.
With Lore a cybernetically enhanced terrorist and Reyes the vengeful son of Fast Five’s villain Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), both combine brains, brawn, and automotive skills to be versatile threats to Dom and his family. Even better, Elba and Momoa fully understand the value of camp in a villain performance, with both chewing every bit of scenery in sight in Hobbs & Shaw and Fast X. In all, Elba and Momoa’s villain performances bring to light one of the few Fast Saga issues that not even Fast Five itself would be immune to.

3 Dom & Co. Work Best As Anti-Heroes

Vin Diesel's Dom confronts Dwayne Johnson's Hobbs in Fast Five

The Fast Saga would begin with Dom and his family stealing DVD players and gradually working their way up to bigger heists. Fast Five would show them at their peak as outlaws on the run from the unstoppable Hobbs. Since Fast Five, Dom and co. have evolved into a kind of government special ops team for off-the-books missions, but this highlights their real effectiveness as anti-heroes.
Dom and his family have committed a laundry list of crimes, with their strong bond forming because they of the risk inherent to their lifestyle. While danger is no less present in the most recent Fast & Furious movies, Dom and co. have also taken on a degree of moral purity that feels completely out of left field for them. Fast Five shows just how much the underground grit Dom and his Fast family began with is essential to who they are.
RELATED: Fast & Furious Original Fast 5 Plan Would’ve Killed The Franchise

2 Dom Has Become Too All-Powerful

Fast X Dominic toretto Stunts

Aptly described as the Alpha of the family by Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) in Furious 7, Dom has been leader of his family’s operations since day one. Dom’s reputation as a formidable street racer and a man skilled in a street fight are both well deserved and on full display in Fast Five. Since then, however, Dom has become one step removed from Superman in terms of power and invincibility.
F9 and Fast X would both show Dom as a hero capable of getting out of just about any situation unharmed, the latter culminating with Dom driving his car down the face of a dam to escape an explosion. A big part of why Fast Five would resonate would be in how much Dom’s strengths were counterbalanced by the stakes of the situation and his rivalry with Hobbs. Unfortunately, the superhero-like tone the Fast Saga has taken on highlights the biggest conundrum of all that it has run into.

1 There Are No Longer Any Stakes

Fast and Furious 9 Tej and Roman in space car

Fast Five would start the Fast & Furious series on its new trajectory where the action scenes and stunts are always bigger, bolder, and more incredible. As a byproduct, each movie has also become more and more absurd. F9 and Fast X would push the Fast Saga to a level where physics and logic matter about as much to the franchise as they do in a Road Runner cartoon, with the once charming ridiculousness of the Fast & Furious franchise becoming more and more of a burden to it.
Additionally, the Fast & Furious franchise has also made clear with F9 and Fast X that the death of anyone in Dom’s family can and probably will be reversed, as seen in the casual returns of Han Lue (Sung Kang) and Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot). All of this has taken any sense of stakes completely out of the equation in the Fast Saga. Meanwhile, Fast Five’s exhilarating heist story is a reminder of just how important believable stakes will always be in an action movie franchise.

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Fast & Furious 11 Release Delay & Filming Start Date Confirmed By Director

Summary

Fast and Furious 11
is facing a release date delay to Summer 2026 due to strikes, with director Louis Leterrier confirming the sequel will not be hitting its April 4, 2025 date.
Leterrier also confirms that filming starts in Fall 2025 after finishing a horror movie in September.
The final installment in the
Fast Saga
reunites Vin Diesel’s Dominic Toretto for one last ride, while also leaving the door open for other spinoffs.

After facing multiple delays due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA and Writers Guild of America strikes, Fast and Furious 11 is seeing its release date delayed. The next installment in the Vin Diesel-fronted franchise is expected to be the last mainline sequel, while development continues on the Dwayne Johnson-led spinoff Hobbs & Reyes, a mysterious standalone movie penned by Fast X’s Zach Dean and a potential female-led spinoff. While a filming start date was never confirmed, Universal had previously set the movie for an April 2025 release date.

During a recent interview with Collider at a CCXP MX panel, Louis Leterrier was asked for an update on Fast and Furious 11. The director went on to confirm that the final mainline installment in the action franchise will no longer be making its April 4, 2025 release date, instead now aiming for a Summer 2026 release window with the filming start date being set for this fall. Check out what Leterrier said below:

It’s happening. It’s happening very, very soon. I’m able to shoot a little horror movie this summer. I’m finishing my horror movie on September 15th, and I start Fast on September 16th.

Will Fast 11’s Multiple Delays Help Or Hurt The Sequel?

Much like the tenth film before it, Fast and Furious 11 has faced a few behind-the-scenes hardships in its road to getting off the ground, namely the delays stemming from the 2023 strikes. While the latest movie seems to have retained its core creative team in comparison to the shift in directors from franchise vet Justin Lin to Leterrier on Fast X after reported creative differences between the former and Diesel, this change didn’t seem to help much with the continued downward trend recent sequels have seen from critics. Check out how the franchise’s Rotten Tomatoes scores compare below:

Title RT Critical Score RT Audience Score The Fast and the Furious 54% 74% 2 Fast 2 Furious 37% 50% The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift 37% 69% Fast & Furious 28% 67% Fast Five 78% 83% Fast & Furious 6 71% 84% Furious 7 81% 82% The Fate of the Furious 67% 72% Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw 67% 88% F9: The Fast Saga 59% 82% Fast X 56% 84%

Even looking outside the Fast and Furious franchise, many movie sequels have found themselves hurt by various delays, be they from creative changes, general release shifts or other factors. The action genre in particular is one in which lengthier development periods can lead to diminishing returns, be it A Good Day to Die Hard, Rambo: Last Blood or Diesel’s own xXx: The Return of Xander Cage. While Fast and Furious 11 may only be getting pushed back by a year, the delay is nonetheless a concern that the final installment could find itself in trouble.

Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) looking angry with Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) looking unimpressed in Fast & Furious

Related 10 Most Exciting Things To Expect From Fast 11 Fast & Furious 11 will pull all the strings to become bigger than the previous installments, and here is why the film is worth being excited about.

On the other hand, the longer wait for Fast and Furious 11 to close out the mainline series of movies could actually prove beneficial for the sequel. Though Leterrier may be busy with another project in the lead-up to filming the next installment, writers Oren Uziel and Christina Hodson should now have more than enough time to really look back at the script and ensure it learns from the critical missteps of recent installments to deliver a satisfying conclusion to the Dominic Toretto saga.

Source: Collider

Fast and Furious 11 temp poster Fast and Furious 11 Fast and Furious 11 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.Director Louis Leterrier Release Date April 4, 2025 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Christina Hodson , Oren Uziel

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Vin Diesel Already Has His Perfect Fast & Furious Replacement Franchise With 51-Year-Old Remake

Summary

Vin Diesel’s dominance in Fast & Furious is ending, but Kojak could kick off a new action franchise for him.
Kojak’s reboot faces an uncertain future, but its similarity to Fast & Furious makes it a worthy project for Diesel.
Diesel’s potential shift from criminal racer to cop signifies a fresh start in a possible Fast & Furious-like series.

Vin Diesel’s days of playing Dominic Toretto are numbered, but the actor has already found his perfect Fast & Furious replacement. Diesel found a major breakout role in the early 2000s thanks to participating in The Fast and the Furious. The original 2001 street racing crime movie became the springboard for a sprawling franchise that has lasted for over two decades. The success of the Fast & Furious movies transformed Vin Diesel’s career, turning him into an even bigger star, especially in the action movie genre. But, Fast & Furious 11 is planned as the final chapter for him and the franchise.

The Fast & Furious franchise’s end will put Vin Diesel in an unfamiliar position of not having a major franchise to lean back on. This presents the actor with various options, such as changing the course of his career to pursue non-franchise roles. However, the more likely outcome is that Diesel will attempt to find a new IP that can replace Fast & Furious. He has had trouble in that regard recently, with franchises like xXx or Riddick running cold and Bloodshot and The Last Witch Hunter failing to launch franchises. There is another option for Diesel, though.

2:03 Vin Diesel as Dominic Toretto from The Fast & Furious Franchise

Related Vin Diesel May Have Spoiled Fast & Furious 11’s Ending With $2.7 Billion Movie Comparison Dom’s death happening in Fast & Furious 11 may have been spoiled already, with Vin Diesel comparing the upcoming movie to another big franchise.

Kojak Can Be Vin Diesel’s New Action Crime Franchise After Fast & Furious
Diesel Has Been Developing The Reboot Since 2015

The impending conclusion of the Fast & Furious franchise means it is finally time for Vin Diesel’s Kojak reboot to get off the ground. The project was announced back in 2015 with Diesel re-teaming with Universal Pictures, the studio behind Fast & Furious, to develop a movie based on Kojak. The original TV series starred Telly Savalas as Theo Kokaj and ran for three seasons after debuting in 1973. The series revolves around Kojak, a New York detective known for being willing to go beyond the law and a love for cars and lollipops, and follows him as he investigates different cases.

Kojak was rebooted in 2005 as a TV show starring Ving Rhames, but it only ran for six episodes

Development on Vin Diesel’s Kojak movie has not been very active in the nine years since it was announced. However, it still maintains the base similarities to Fast & Furious, which makes the project a worthwhile endeavor for Diesel in terms of finding a new action franchise. He would now have another big action series about cars and crime, essentially making Kojak into a newer version of Fast & Furious. The irony here is that Diesel takes on the role of a cop after playing criminal racer Dominic Toretto.

Vin Diesel’s Involvement Can Morph Kojak Into A Major Action Franchise
Kojak Could Be A Fast & Furious Clone
Telly Savalas talking on the phone in Kojak

Looking at the original TV show, Kojak might not necessarily project to be a major blockbuster action franchise akin to Fast & Furious. The TV series was relatively grounded and small due to the nature of its production. However, the fact that Diesel and Universal pinpointed this property as something they wanted to revive together is telling. The announcement of Kojak’s reboot came months after Furious 7 debuted in theaters and took the franchise to new heights at the box office and in terms of how ridiculously big the action and story could get.

It’s sometimes difficult to remember that Fast & Furious started off with a story about DVD thieves who were also street racers before Diesel helped turn it into something much bigger. With that experience and success already behind him, it would be understandable if a similar path was envisioned for Kojak. The series could then morph into a Fast & Furious clone, one that gives Vin Diesel a new franchise to headline and Universal a “fresh” action franchise to grow.

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The Rock’s WWE Run Means Fast & Furious 11 Must Make 1 Major Hobbs Change

Summary

Hobbs from Fast & Furious 11 needs a gritty edge like The Rock’s WWE character to keep the franchise fresh and exciting.
The Rock’s time away from the Fast & Furious universe provides the perfect reason for Hobbs to return with a personal vendetta and a more savage attitude.
While Hobbs shouldn’t become a full-fledged villain in Fast & Furious 11, adding some edginess and dirty tricks could make his character more intriguing and dynamic.

Fast & Furious 11 must make one major Hobbs change after The Rock’s incredible WWE run. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s WWE return surpassed his recent movies, with the actor creating some of the best work of his career. Having returned to a thunderous reception, The Rock was able to flip the crowd’s reception by becoming a heel and playing a major part in WrestleMania’s main events. The Rock hasn’t played a villain on screen for years, as even his depiction of Black Adam lent more into the character’s anti-hero side, which made his wrestling run all the more refreshing.

While his wrestling character may not perfectly translate into the Fast & Furious universe, there is one aspect of The Rock’s WWE run that the franchise should attempt to implement. After debuting in Fast Five, The Rock’s best Fast & Furious scenes helped contribute to the movie series becoming so popular, with Luke Hobbs becoming an instrumental part of the story. He was even given his own spinoff alongside Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) and is set to get a solo movie in the future. Despite this, Hobbs would still benefit from adding one key aspect of The Rock’s WWE run.

The Rock’s WWE Run Proves Fast & Furious 11 Needs To Give Hobbs More Of An Edge
Fast & Furious Would Benefit From Hobbs Adopting Some Of The Rock’s WWE Tendancies
Dwayne The Rock Johnson in Black Adam, WWE, and Hobbs and Shaw

Given how electrifying The Rock’s recent WWE run was, there is no doubt Fast & Furious 11 needs to give Hobbs more of an edge. Although the character has had his more serious moments, like most of the Fast & Furious cast, Hobbs tends to mix action with comedy. Hobbs and Shaw are supposed to be two of the more stoic heroes, yet they are constantly at each other’s throats and cracking jokes to help maintain the franchise’s lighthearted core. However, giving Hobbs a grittier side would help the character thrive upon his return.

The Rock’s Fast & Furious return may redeem Fast X’s box office, but the character needs to come back stronger than ever. By allowing him to be more ruthless, he can still maintain some elements of comedy but also become more interesting in the process. Johnson proved that despite being a detestable heel, he was still as hilarious as ever during his recent WWE tenure. This proves that he can maintain Fast & Furious’ tone and humorous style while being more layered; therefore, Hobbs adopting some of The Rock’s WWE characteristics could make him even more entertaining.

Fast & Furious Already Has A Reason For Hobbs To Be More Savage
Hobbs Has Been Away From The Franchise For Several Years

Making a major change to Hobbs’ character could be tough to explain, but Fast & Furious 11 already has a great reason to make him more savage. His four-year absence from the franchise gives him a perfect excuse to come back with a vengeance and potentially have a personal attachment to Fast & Furious 11’s villains. Hobbs’ time away from the main story could be explained through a connection to Fast X’s secondary villain, Aimes. Aimes’ villain twist in Fast X was well executed and suggests he’ll be around for the sequel, which is the perfect reason to bring back Hobbs.

Having a more personal story with one of the villains could allow Hobbs to continue his great quips and one-liners, but it would also give him more of an edge.

Fast X never explained why he’s back, but having a personal vendetta against Aimes could be an intriguing reason. Given Dom and Dante are the focal point of the franchise’s conclusion, Hobbs returning to take down Aimes would avoid overshadowing the main story while still giving him an interesting role. Having a personal story with one of the villains could allow Hobbs to continue his great quips and one-liners, while also giving him more of an edge. This provides The Rock with the perfect reason to implement some of his heel traits while still portraying a morally good hero.

2:34 Image 147 Related Predicting The Ending Of All 13 Fast & Furious Characters In Fast 11 The Fast Saga is set to conclude with Fast & Furious 11 – or Fast X 2 – but how will Dom Toretto and his family’s stories come to a definitive end?

Why Fast & Furious Can’t Bring The Rock Back As A Villain
Hobbs Already Appeared As An Antagonist In Fast Five
A custom image featuring Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs in the Fast and Furious movies Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury

Although The Rock’s villainous tendencies worked well in the WWE, Fast & Furious can’t bring him back as an antagonist. Johnson already played the main villain of Fast Five, as Hobbs was originally an enemy of Dom and his crew before becoming an ally. Hobbs’ role in Fast Five was one of his best, but despite being the main antagonist, he always had a level of integrity. Dropping all of this to make him a villain in the final movie would be completely unnecessary, especially as the franchise needs him to remain a hero for his spinoff.

Fast & Furious 11 may end the main story, but The Rock will be part of the franchise beyond this, and altering his character so drastically wouldn’t make any sense. Instead, adding some extra edge to his character would have the same effect and would avoid stealing the thunder from Dante and Aimes. Although Fast & Furious 11 shouldn’t make him a villain, the film can still allow Hobbs to play dirty and pull some cheap tricks in order to show a grittier side, while letting him taunt his enemies when he inevitably helps save the day.

Fast & Furious 11
is scheduled to be released in theaters on April 4, 2025.

Fast and Furious 11 temp poster Fast and Furious 11 Fast and Furious 11 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.Director Louis Leterrier Release Date April 4, 2025 Distributor(s) Universal Pictures Writers Christina Hodson , Oren Uziel

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