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5 Times Dom & Brian Were BFFs (& 5 Times They Were Frenemies)

The running theme (which could also be considered a running gag at this point) in the Fast and Furious series is the importance of family. However, the closest bond Dom (Vin Diesel) has ever isn’t with his siblings or childhood friends. It was with his former enemy, Brian O’Conner

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At first, Brian (Paul Walker) was the undercover cop sent in to the street-racing subculture of LA to bring Dominic Toretto down, but that cat-and-mouse relationship turned into the greatest seven-movie-long friendship. Though Eminem almost played Brian in the first Fast & Furious movie, the friendship between the two characters felt all the more real thanks to the real-life relationship of Diesel and Walker. However, that’s not to say their characters have always seen eye to eye – especially when it comes to matters of the heart.

BFFs: Dom Was Happy That Brian And Mia Were Having Baby

Given the current situation they were in at the time they found out they were pregnant, as Brian and Mia were on the run from Hobbs with Dom, it wasn’t the ideal situation to be in with a child on the way. And that’s why Brian was clearly hesitant to tell Dom, Mia’s brother.
As Dom has such a short fuse, it could have gone either way, but Dom couldn’t have been happier for Brian. Some argue that Fast Five was too plot driven, but the inclusion of Mia and Brian’s pregnancy was one of the most heartfelt moments of the series, as the three of them were able to take a break from the action and embrace each other with a giant bear hug.

Frenemies: Dom Tries To Get Brian Fired

After first meeting at the Toretto market, and then getting in to a fight with Vince, Brian doesn’t exactly get on Dom’s good side immediately.
Dom slams Brian against a car, calls him a serial killer, and then tells him he’s going to get him fired from The Racer’s Edge. It’s hard to believe that these two guys would go on to become best friends. Luckily, Harry doesn’t fire Brian because he’s too good of an employee, but it doesn’t mean that Dom didn’t try. What’s so brilliant about the early feud is that Brian’s only crime was liking the tuna at the market.

BFFs: Dom Lets Brian Win The Drag Race

In Fast Five, the heist the team are planning in Rio requires some cop cars, and after Dom, Brian, Tej, and Rome steal four of them from a local police station, they can’t help but have a quick drag race. They bet a million dollars, and Dom allegedly lets Brian win.
RELATED: 10 Other Movies Like F9 That Were Influenced By The Racing Franchise
Though Dom doesn’t outright say that he let Brian win, he hints at it, and Tej and Rome claim they watched Dom pull back. As it happens after Dom finds out that Brian is going to be a father, he hints that that’s why he let him win, and that’s the most adorable thing Dom has ever done for anybody.

Frenemies: Their Reunion In Fast & Furious 4

In the fourth entry in the series, Fast & Furious, it marked the first time since the very first movie that Brian and Dom were on screen together. It was the big appeal of the soft reboot of the franchise, and there was a huge build up to them meeting for the first time. However, when they did, they weren’t exactly throwing their arms around each other with tears in their eyes.
Dom threatens Brian, saying that he’ll kill anyone who gets in his way of finding Letty’s killer, and though he has changed a lot since the beginning of the series, he’s very much the same Dom from the first movie. Brian and Dom might be best friends now, but the last time they saw each other before the reunion, Dom found out that Brian was an undercover cop whose objective was to send him down, and Dom is still clearly coming to terms with that.

BFFs: The Last Ride

As Paul Walker sadly passed away before the production of Furious 7 had wrapped, the whole ending had to be altered, but it was done so in the most sincere and emotional way possible. In the final scene, Brian is even playing with his child on the beach as the whole gang watch on. Dom leaves without saying goodbye, only for Brian to catch up to him at a crossroad.
The scene is perfect, as it perfectly represents their characters, with Brian in a sports car and Dom in a muscle car, mirroring the last race they had at the end of The Fast and the Furious. It’s made even more powerful by “See You Again” playing over the scene and leading in to a montage of all of Brian’s most iconic scenes in the Fast & Furious series.

Frenemies: Fighting Over Letty’s Death

It took a long time for Dom and Brian to reconcile in the fourth movie, as not long after their reunion and what seemed like a thinly veiled threat from Dom, Dom actually goes for Brian.
Dom unfairly takes his anger out on Brian when he finds out that Brian was the last person to have contact with Letty before her death, and he throws him against walls, filing cabinets, and anything else that will leave him injured and bruised. Though Dom’s rage is more reserved in the recent movies, Fast & Furious saw him angrier than ever, and he started locking horns with Brian before he even knew the whole story.

BFFs: The 10 Second Car

This is what their whole friendship is based on, and the idea of the 10 second car is a narrative device that is threaded through the whole series and what the emotional final montage in Furious 7 ends with. It began with The Fast and the Furious after Brian bet pink slips in a race and lost.
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When the police are coming for Dom after he has just totalled his Dodge Charger, Brian hands him the keys to the Toyota Supra, saying, “I owe you a 10 second car.” After spending the whole movie trying to hand Dom over to the police, he lets him go at the final hurdle, which is a testament to how far they came as BFFs in the one hour and 40 minutes.

Frenemies: Their First Drag Race

When it comes to the Fast & Furious series, though there’s plenty of fist fights in the movie, for the most part, the characters let the cars do the fighting. And the very first street racing in the movie saw Dom and Brian go head-to-head.
After Dom wins, he goes on an epic tirade tearing Brian apart. Dom treated the race like a sport, just like he always has, but Brian was racing for respect, which is why Dom’s words make him all the more defeated. There’s no denying how Brian feels after, as he loops like Dom just used every single word in the English language that could have possibly weakened.

BFFs: Brian Saves Dom From Getting Arrested

Despite being so humiliated by Dom just minutes before, Brian still takes it upon himself to save the infamous street racer when he was being chased on foot by the cops. Brian didn’t have to do it, especially after the last time they spoke, but it leads to the first bonding moment the two guys have in the series.
Though it might have been because he had an ulterior motive, because if Dom got sent down for something as measly as street racing, it would have ruined Agent Bilkins’ whole operation, Brian still saved him. And as thanks, Dom hands Brian nothing other than a Corona, naturally.

Frenemies: Brian Blows His Cover

As Vince injures himself in the final truck heist, getting shot at and having his whole arm severely injured in barbed wire, Brian has no choice but to blow his cover and use his police ID to call emergency services. Though it’s an explosive scene that’s full of hate and anger, it ultimately shows Brian’s allegiance to Dom. And though it may have proved that Dom shouldn’t have trusted Brian, Fast & Furious fans agree that it also showed just how loyal the undercover cop could be and if he didn’t do it, Vince would have died from blood loss.
NEXT: 10 Best Quotes From Fast & Furious 9

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The 69-Year Story Behind The Fast And Furious Name

Summary

The Fast & Furious franchise started with the 2001 movie The Fast and the Furious and went through several major changes in its sequel titles. The title for the original movie was almost different, with options like Race Wars, but the producer fought for The Fast and the Furious.

As the Fast & Furious series has one of the most recognizable franchise names in cinema, some may be curious as to where its origin came from. The multi-billion-dollar franchise started with 2001’s straightforward street racing movie, The Fast and the Furious, but following that, the series went through several major changes, and that was mirrored in the Fast & Furious sequel movie titles. 2 Fast 2 Furious introduced numbered titles, then The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift immediately dropped that format. The fourquel confused things further with the title Fast & Furious, and it only got more confusing from there. However, every title is still a play on the original 2001 title.

The Fast and the Furious came to fruition following a Vibe magazine article called “Racer X”. Universal had the incredible foresight of seeing how popular street racing would become in the 2000s, and the studio quickly grabbed the movie rights to the article. However, while the movie was originally titled after the article, the studio wasn’t totally satisfied with that name, and many other titles, including Race Wars, were considered. The movie even went into production under the title Redline, but producer Neal Moritz had his mind set on one title that seemed unachievable to get; The Fast and the Furious.

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The Fast And The Furious Is Named After A 1954 Movie

Another movie titled The Fast and the Furious already existed, and it was released almost half a century before the 2001 street racing film was released. 1954’s The Fast and the Furious, written by Roger Corman, has nothing to do with street racing as it exists today. The movie follows a prison escapee who kidnaps a rich woman and steals her Jaguar, then ends up in an epic road race that ends in Mexico. While the title perfectly fits the 1954 film, Moritz was desperate to use the title for his own movie that he was producing, having learned about it after seeing a Roger Corman documentary (via Entertainment Weekly).

Moritz detailed how Universal didn’t seem to be completely on board at first. The producer explained, “I called up the head of marketing at Universal the next morning and said ‘Okay, I’ve got the title: The Fast and the Furious!’ And there was just silence on the other end. I was like, ‘Oh, I guess that is the worst title he’s ever heard.’ However, after mulling it over, Universal agreed, and it worked out perfectly, as the whole world now knows that name and it’s synonymous with the Vin Diesel-led franchise. Movie titles are extremely important, and it’s less likely that the movie would have become a billion-dollar franchise if it was titled Race Wars.

Moritz revealed, “we made a deal with Roger to give him the use of some stock footage that Universal owned.” It isn’t clear if Corman ever benefited financially from that footage. In hindsight, he undoubtedly got a terrible deal. The Fast & Furious name is extremely important to the franchise and has made Universal billions. The name has even been used for spinoffs, and Fast & Furious Present: Hobbs & Shaw wouldn’t have made $760 million without the name attached to it. However, there was no knowing how huge the franchise became. After all, The Fast and the Furious was originally just a scrappy crime movie based on a magazine article.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

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Fast X Video Reveals BTS Of Real, Practical Fights In OTT Sequel

Summary

The Fast X fight between Letty and Cipher was filmed using practical effects, resulting in a well-choreographed hand-to-hand combat sequence full of emotions. Cipher’s decision to team up with Dom and “La Familia” was out of necessity, but spending time with Letty after escaping prison could lead to her becoming a member of the family. Cipher’s unexplored history with Giselle and her association with Letty could help in mellowing down the former villain and potentially setting up a redemption arc or even a Cipher spin-off.

A new Fast X behind-the-scenes video shows how Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and Cipher’s (Charlize Theron) intense fight scene was filmed. Dom and his “La Familia” returned on the big screen in 2023 for the tenth main installment of The Fast Saga. In a major twist, however, instead of butting heads again with Cipher, the primary villain of the franchise for several recent entries, Letty had to team up with her. That didn’t stop Letty from expressing her true feelings about her when they were both captured by the Agency.

Courtesy of Collider is a behind-the-scenes clip from Louis Leterrier’s Fast X that offers a look at how Cipher and Letty’s one-on-one fight scene was filmed. Check out the video below:

The Fast X fight is arguably one of the best choreographed hand-to-hand combat in The Fast Saga, and it’s all because they filmed it with practical effects. The result, coupled with the history between the pair, is an effective action sequence full of emotions.

How Cipher & Letty’s Relationship Evolves In Fast & Furious 11

Granted that Cipher’s decision to team up with Dom and “La Familia” came from necessity after she was targeted by Jason Momoa’s Dante, spending more time with Letty after escaping prison can lead to her becoming a proper member of “La Familia.” There’s precedent to this, with a few of the recent The Fast Saga villains ending up being redeemed and joining Dom and his crew. This has been the case with Deckard Shaw (despite his attempted murder of Han Lue), and more recently, John Cena’s Jakob, who sacrificed himself in Fast X to save Little B.

Increasing the chances of this happening is Cipher’s unexplored history with Giselle. After she and Letty finally escaped the Agency’s bunk prison, they found themselves in the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, Giselle came to the rescue after Cipher notified her of their escape plan. There has never been any indication that Cipher and Giselle know each other before the massive Fast X twist. Making this more surprising is that Giselle has been believed to be dead for several years now. Her association with Giselle could help Letty mellow down on the former villain when they all return for Fast and Furious 11.

RELATED: Fast X Cliffhanger Ending Explained

Perhaps, this unexpected turn could be a set-up for the in-development Cipher spin-off. Specific plot details about the project are currently scant, with Universal still not announcing a tentative release date. Nevertheless, the events of Fast X could be the start of her redemption arc, with her relationship with Letty functioning as a barometer of whether viewers can finally forgive her for all of her transgressions.

Source: Collider

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10 Characters Who Should Be In It

Summary

Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty is the franchise’s biggest female character and the obvious pick to lead the all-female spinoff. Jordana Brewster’s Mia deserves a big role in the spinoff to expand on her character and showcase her growth. Brie Larson’s Tess is needed in the spinoff to explore the mystery surrounding her character and add her engaging screen presence to the team.

The Fast & Furious saga is meant to continue with an all-female-led movie, and casting the returning characters presents exciting options. An all-female spinoff could be the perfect way to continue the Fast &Furious story, as it will be able to retain the elements of the franchise that make it iconic while offering a new perspective. From the beginning, the franchise has been very male-dominated, and told male-centric stories, so offering the high-octane thrills of a Fast & Furious movie from a female perspective could be a welcome change of pace.

The series is known for having an all-star cast, so any female spinoff will have to match the previous films. Thankfully, the franchise already has several incredible female movie stars. Fast X, the latest film in the franchise, introduced and reintroduced some exciting female characters, setting the groundwork for the upcoming Fast & Furious movie. Obviously, whatever happens in the next film will determine who will be on the team and what side they will fight for. The franchise already has a healthy supply of female characters, both good and evil, who can factor into a Fast & Furious female spinoff.

Related Fast X Proves How Great A Fast & Furious Female Spinoff Would Be The idea of an all-female spinoff is more exciting than Fast & Furious 11, with Fast X providing the blueprint for just how well it could work.

10 Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty Can Lead The Fast Spinoff Ensemble
She’s the franchise’s biggest female character

Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty has been a key member of the Fast family since the first movie, and no female spinoff would feel right without her leading the team. Dominic Toretto’s wife is one of the fastest drivers in the world. Letty has made her way from street racer to international woman of mystery, becoming one of the franchise’s best characters in the process. Rodriguez is an incredibly engaging screen presence thanks to her charisma and action pedigree. An all-female action movie is right in her wheelhouse, making her the obvious pick for the lead in the movie.

9 Jordana Brewster’s Mia Deserves A Big Role
The Toretto family member has been sidelined recently

Another extension of the Toretto family tree, Jordana Brewster’s Mia is Dom’s brother and the wife of Paul Walker’s Brian. Since Walker’s tragic death, as well as the introduction of countless new characters, Mia has been sidelined in recent films, which is a shame because she is one of the best parts of the earlier films. A spinoff with just the women could be a great time to expand on Mia’s character and see how she has grown over the past couple of years, especially now that she is the mother of two. Brewster is an underrated talent, and Mia should be heavily involved in whatever spinoff the filmmakers plan.

8 Brie Larson’s Tess Is Needed After Fast X Introduction
Mr. Nobody’s daughter has a bright future

Fast X introduced several new faces to the franchise, but perhaps most notably was Brie Larson as Tess “Nobody”, a secret agent on a quest to protect Dom and his family. Larson had relatively little screen time in the movie, and her introduction felt like it was mostly included to set up a future spinoff. The Oscar winner is the perfect name to include in a spinoff. Larson is an incredibly engaging and vulnerable screen presence and a great addition to the team. As her family name would imply, there is still a lot of mystery about Tess that this spinoff could explore.

7 Ramsey’s Return Can Give Nathalie Emmanuel A Major Role
The hacker has a growing set of skills

After her first appearance in Furious 7, Nathalie Emmanuel’s Ramsey has been the Fast team’s resident hacker and tech wiz. The Game of Thrones star has mostly been used for exposition and comic relief since joining the team, but Ramsey has a distinctive style and skill set that would make her a great addition to the female spinoff. While Mia and Letty are great drivers, Ramsey has skills in the digital realm that could help the team on whatever mission they are on. It would also be interesting to see how Ramsey functions outside the trio of her, Tej, and Roman.

Related Fast & Furious Showed How To Continue The Franchise After Vin Diesel 17 Years Ago (With A Catch) Fast & Furious finds itself at a crossroads with the end nearing, and Universal should look to the franchise’s most underrated movie for inspiration.

6 Daniela Melchior’s Return As Isabel Gives The Spinoff More Legacy
Isabel is the sister of Elena

For a while, Elsa Pataky’s Elena was viewed as an obvious candidate to appear in a Fast & Furious female spinoff. However, after her untimely demise in The Fate of the Furious, her younger sister can fill that void. Another new female protagonist introduced in Fast X, Daniela Melchior’s Isabel also felt like she was included mostly to set up this future spinoff. Melchior is one of the more promising young actors to pop up this decade, and her work in The Suicide Squad proves she is more than ready to have a large part in a team-up action movie.

5 Gal Gadot’s Place In The Fast Spinoff As Gisele Is Likely
Fast X confirmed Gisele is still alive

Gal Gadot made her return to Fast and Furious in the final moments of Fast X’s ending, which confirmed that Gisele is alive after Fast & Furious 6. The character’s return had been speculated for a long time, and audiences should see much more of her now that her fate is confirmed. A Fast & Furious female spinoff can answer lingering questions about Gisele’s life, such as how she survived falling from a plane or what she’s been doing for the last several years. The movie can also finally give Gisele a prominent role in the franchise once again.

4 Charlize Theron’s Cipher Could Play Both Sides In The Spinoff
The franchise’s villain is not to be trusted

In both The Fate of the Furious and F9: The Fast Saga, Charlize Theron’s Cipher served as the franchise’s primary antagonist. While Fast X puts her allegiance into question, she is still one of the best villains in all of Fast and Furious and would make an excellent baddie for the all-women team to go up against. While Cipher could be a reluctant ally to the team, Theron is just much more fun hamming it up as the bad guy, and the film could serve as a fitting conclusion to her movie-spanning scheme.

3 Eva Mendes Can Return As Monica Fuentes At Long Last
She hasn’t been seen since Fast Five

The Fast & Furious female spinoff would also be a great opportunity to finally bring back Eva Mendes as Monica Fuentes. Following her debut in 2 Fast 2 Furious, she returned briefly in Fast Five’s post-credits scene. Eva Mendes has since mostly retired from acting, leaving audiences without a chance to see Monica’s story continue. A Fast X Easter egg did provide a reminder of her presence in the franchise. This could be to help set up her appearance in Fast 11, but a return alongside the franchise’s biggest female characters would be more fitting.

2 Vanessa Kirby’s Hattie Needs To Crossover With The Main Franchise
She’s from the franchise’s only current spinoff

Only appearing in Hobbs & Shaw, Vanessa Kirby’s Hattie is the third sibling in the Shaw family and one of the most dangerous women in the Fast universe. She was a scene-stealing presence in the previous Fast & Furious spinoff movie that left audiences wanting more. It would be great to see Kirby return for an even bigger role in the franchise spinoff, allowing her to interact with some of the other prominent characters along the way.

1 Helen Mirren’s Queenie Should Be The Female Ensemble’s Mentor
She’s become a frequent face

With her appearances in the past four movies, including Hobbs & Shaw, Helen Mirren has become a surprising mainstay of the Fast & Furious franchise. Her role as British gangster Queenie is such a fun role for the Dame, and her time in the universe should continue especially in the all-female spinoff. Mirren’s roles in the movies have mostly been one-scene cameos, so this film could be a great space to expand the character and give her a chance to interact with more actors than just Vin Diesel.

Fast X Release Date: 2023-05-19 Director: Louis Leterrier Cast: Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jason Statham, Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Charlize Theron, Nathalie Emmanuel, John Cena, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Scott Eastwood, Jason Momoa Rating: PG-13 Runtime: 141 Minutes Genres: Action, Adventure, Crime Writers: Justin Lin, Dan Mazeau, Gary Scott Thompson Budget: $340 Million Studio(s): Universal Pictures Distributor(s): Universal Pictures Sequel(s): Fast and Furious 11, Fast & Furious 12 prequel(s): Fast & Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, The Fast And The Furious, Fast 5, Fast and Furious 6, Furious 7, Fast and Furious 8, F9: The Fast Saga1 Franchise(s): Fast and Furious

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