Fast & Furious 9 (officially titled F9) is going bigger than ever before by taking the conflict out of the Earth’s atmosphere and heading into space, and a James Bond movie could be involved in how that happens. For the first time in Fast & Furious franchise history, the Vin Diesel-led film series will feature space travel. Diesel, who has played Dominic Toretto since the series began with The Fast and the Furious in 2001, is set to be at the front and center of the new chapter, which coincidentally celebrates the franchise’s 20th anniversary. Originally scheduled to debut in 2020, F9 was pushed back a year with an April 2021 release date due to the coronavirus pandemic.
When the Fast & Furious franchise first began in the early ’00s, it primarily focused on illegal street racing. After Paul Walker headlined the series’ first standalone sequel, reprising his role as Brian O’Conner, the movies shifted to Japan for The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. A decade after the debut installment, Fast Five revamped the franchise by thrusting Dom, Brian, and their crew into worldwide heists. With the incorporation of Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs, the stakes became higher and the stunts became crazier. With the evolution into a full-blown action series, the fandom grew, as did the box office potential.
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Despite gearing up for the ninth film in The Fast Saga, the franchise has expanded even more with a spinoff and animated TV series. With plans to grow with even more future projects, Fast & Furious will need to find ways to freshen the narrative. F9 will open a new door by introducing galactic opportunities. As wild as it sounds, it seems like the plausible next step for a series known for pushing the boundaries of realistic scenarios. Here’s what has been revealed about F9’s space plans and what it could mean for the direction of the story.
Fast & Furious 9 Is Going To Space

After directing four previous Fast & Furious installments, Justin Lin is back at the helm for F9. Set after Dom and his crew’s run-in with criminal mastermind Cipher (Charlize Theron) in The Fate of the Furious, Dom has since retired to settle down with his family. Dom and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) traded in adrenaline-inducing missions to raise Dom’s young son. Unfortunately, retirement is short-lived since Dom’s brother, Jakob Toretto (John Cena), causes trouble after teaming with Cipher. Dom has no choice but to get the gang back together with the help of his sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), and friends Tej (Ludacris Bridges), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel). In a surprising move, F9 also confirmed the return of Han (Sung Kang) in addition to other Tokyo Drift familiar faces. Unlike previous land-based missions, members of the cast have shared that the plot will head to space. Seeing as Dom is at the center of the story, he will presumably be the one to embark on galactic travel.
Just recently, Rodriguez confirmed F9’s space travel in an interview on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show. Fans have speculated as much for years, seeing as it was one territory that the franchise has never explored. Interestingly enough, the film series had plans to head to the final frontier for years. Seth Rogen shared about an encounter he had with a Fast & Furious producer, claiming that The Fast Saga had space ideas a decade ago. The timing at that point, however, wasn’t right, but it was an obvious plot point that the writers were aiming towards.
Fast 9’s Rocket Car Could Be How Dom Goes To Space
The first legitimate hint that pointed at space travel came in F9’s first full trailer. In the footage, a handful of new vehicles was revealed. Even though the Fast & Furious franchise has moved away from street racing, cars are still a prominent aspect of the movies. Among the new vehicles featured in the trailer was a modified Pontiac Fiero. Unlike typical advancements for speed and power, the coupe was equipped with a rocket.
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The Pontiac rocket car can be seen driven by Roman in the trailer. Appearing to be built by Earl (Jason Tobin) and Sean (Lucas Black), the vehicle looks like it was being tested on some kind of runway against an aircraft seen in the background. The rocket-powered car showcases extreme speed, more so than any of the NOS-fueled cars featured in the past.
It’s possible that the Pontiac Fiero is just the first prototype for some type of vehicle being built for Dom to go to space. He could have assigned certain members of the crew to build something while he faces Jakob and Cipher through other means. It’s not the first time that the group has tested methods before unleashing modified finished products. In that case, the rocket car could just be a smaller version of what Dom uses to leave the Earth’s atmosphere in F9.
Why Dom Could Go To Space In Fast & Furious 9
During Rodriguez’s interview discussing F9’s space plans, the actress mentioned that her character is “not lucky enough to hit space.” Her statement adds more evidence to the notion that space travel could be a solo mission for Dom. So what exactly would need to be happening for Dom to put his life at risk in order to make the dangerous journey? 1979’s Moonraker might provide some explanations.
The Fate of the Furious already introduced hijacked missiles and submarines. With a cyberterrorist at the lead, there are numerous ways Cipher and Jakob could put the entire world in harm’s way. It’s possible that there’s a superweapon or threatening satellite located in space that Cipher gets control of. Seeing as Dom is so connected to the threat based on his familial relationship with Jakob, he may feel like it’s his responsibility to stop them.
Moonraker followed a similar plot, focusing on James Bond space travel after he investigated the theft of a Space Shuttle. The shuttle was hijacked to carry out a plan that would destroy the world’s population in order to recreate the human race. The scope for Fast & Furious might not be that broad, but it’s possible that a hijacking will be involved, threatening a segment of society. With the franchise taking plays out of playbooks from some of the most renowned action series, it wouldn’t be surprising to see elements of James Bond featured in F9 and beyond. Whatever happened before The Fast Saga closes out, it will undoubtedly have viewers on the edge of their seats.
Next: The Fast Saga’s Future After Fast & Furious 10 Explained
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