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10 Best Fast & Furious Characters Who Only Appeared Once

After a few speed bumps along the road, Fast X is well into production, and it sports a laundry-list-long ensemble cast. The call sheet is full of actors well-acquainted with the high-octane action franchise and others who are new to it. However, it’s missing a number of fan-favorite characters from previous movies, ones that have only ever appeared in the franchise once.

Between grizzled FBI agents, street racers who made the series popular to begin with, and hilariously theatrical villains, not everyone has been asked to return for the team-up movies. As the franchise has become known for bringing back obscure characters of the series, they might show up at some point, but until then, fans can only dream.

Agent Markham

Agent Markham shoots an ESD harpoon launcher in 2 Fast 2 Furious

The first Fast movie was a crime drama that realistically depicted street racing, but two years later, 2 Fast 2 Furious turned the series into a cartoon with over-the-top souped-up cars and stereotypical characters, which are more like caricatures. One of those caricatures is Markham, an FBI agent who takes himself way too seriously, speaks with a direct authoritative vernacular, and gets angry way too quickly.
RELATED: Fast & Furious – A Fascinating Behind-The-Scenes Fact From Each Movie
Markham was the first character in the series with whom Roman had a problem. The two characters’ argumentative nature established a type of comedy that the Fast and Furious series now wouldn’t be the same without. And nothing was funnier than when Rome ate Markham’s sandwich.

Leon

Leon drives across the desert in The Fast and the Furious

Though the Fast franchise loves to bring back old characters, the only character from the original crew that has returned is Vince in Fast Five. And out of all of them, Vince is the least entertaining. Leon should have returned to the series by now as he’s the best driver in the franchise, and he might have even set the whole series’ events into motion.
In The Fast and the Furious, during the first street race, Leon tells a delivery driver, “Road’s closed, pizza boy,” which seems like nothing more than a throwaway one-liner. However, the line could have encouraged the disgruntled delivery driver to call the police and rat on the racers, and it’d explain how the cops showed up out of nowhere. If Leon returned, this could be mentioned, especially as the Fast franchise is known to give the fans what they want.

Little Nobody

Little Nobody with Dom's crew in Fate of the Furious

The Fate of the Furious put the franchise on the wrong course. Following the highest-grossing movie in the franchise, Furious 7, the eighth movie in the series lost some of its magic, as Dwayne Johnson had a smaller role, the action sequences weren’t as exciting, and after the sad passing of Paul Walker, the beating heart of the series was missing.
However, while it didn’t make up for all of those absences, Little Nobody, Nobody’s son, added some more comedic relief. The law enforcement agent was yet another character for Roman to lock horns with, and their banter made for some of the best of the series. Not seeing Little Nobody in F9 was a surprise, but, thankfully, he will return in Fast X.

Leysa

Leysa in the back of a truck in Fast Furious 9

F9 sports a huge cast of A-listers from Helen Mirren to John Cena, but one that nobody saw coming was Cardi B. The rapper plays Leysa, who is an old friend of Dom’s and saves him from Hatfield House. Leysa is the head of an all-female paramilitary group, and though it’s a little premature, that’s crying out for a spin-off movie.
RELATED: The 10 Craziest Action Sequences From The Fast & Furious Franchise, Ranked
Cardi B might not be a classically trained actor or even an actor for that matter, but she has more charisma than the entire F9 cast combined. At two hours and 20 minutes, Leysa doesn’t get half enough screentime, and it’s almost blasphemous that she only had one scene given how effective it was. But just like Little Nobody, Leysa will be returning in Fast X, and she’ll hopefully have a much larger role.

Jesse

Chad Lindberg as Jesse in Fast and the Furious

So many blockbuster franchises feature characters who come back from the dead, and the biggest culprit of that is the Fast and Furious series. Even though it isn’t a remotely supernatural or fantastical series, it sure feels like it, as so many characters have died and come back to life with very little explanation, and Han has essentially come back to life twice. However, Jesse died for good, and unsurprisingly, with him not returning, it was by far the most effective death in the franchise.
Jesse was the most relatable character in the Fast movies, and though his murder was inevitable, it was still shocking. But while the audience saw him get shot by Johnny Tran, his actual death was off-screen, so he might not even have died. It’d be exciting for Jesse to randomly show up in a future Fast movie, but it’d also ruin the one genuinely emotive death in the series.

Neela

Neela exits a car in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Even though F9 was disappointing fans of Tokyo Drift fans as it ruined one of the most impactful sequences (Han’s crash in the Mazda RX7), it at least got most of the gang back together. Seeing Sean, Twinkie, and Earl back together in a couple of extended scenes that weren’t necessary was a treat for every Tokyo Drift fan, but there was one critical absence.
Neela was Sean’s love interest in Tokyo Drift; she was an incredible drifter in her own right, and she was the emotional crux of the movie. Just like Monica before her, Neela was only in one movie in the series, but at least Monica had a cameo in the Fast Five post-credits scene. As Neela ends up with Sean at the end of Tokyo Drift, he didn’t even bring her up in F9, leading audiences to wonder what happened between them.

Takashi

Seand and Takashi confront each other in Fast and Furious Tokyo Drift

Along with Neela, Takashi, a.k.a. the Drift King, was nowhere to be found in F9, but he was the antagonist of Tokyo Drift. However, while he did work for the Yakuza, he was the most casual villain in a Fast movie. He wasn’t blowing up cars like Johnny Tran in the first movie, and he wasn’t smuggling drugs like Carter Verone in 2 Fast 2 Furious.
RELATED: 5 Directors Who Almost Helmed A Fast & Furious Movie (& 5 Who Should)
Instead, his biggest crime was acting obnoxiously about being the best racer, and that’s part of Tokyo Drift’s charm as a whole. It’s so casual, inoffensive, and more like a teen drama than an action movie. Takashi is such a memorable character, and it’s easy to see him go through a redemption arc in a new Fast film.

Suki

Suki greets Brian in 2 Fast 2 Furious

Suki only appeared in 2 Fast 2 Furious, but she was the MVP of the 2003 movie. It comes as a surprise that Suki didn’t take the role of Ramsey, who was introduced in Furious 7. Suki was close with Tej, she had chemistry with the other characters, and she’s lively and free-spirited, something that the stiff newer movies are in dire need of.
Creating a brand new female character was a weird choice when Suki was one of the most lovable characters of the series, and while Suki isn’t the supersmart computer Hacker that Ramsey is, Tej was never the genius engineer he is now, and Dom was never the invincible superhero he is now. So Suki joining the team would have been fitting, and she needs to return to the Fast series for the finale.

Carter Verone

Cole Hauser and Eva Mendes sitting on couch in 2 Fast 2 Furious

The end of 2 Fast 2 Furious perfectly set up Carter’s return to the series, as he grins at Roman and tells him that he’ll be back. Then, Brian explains that the drug lord will probably be out of jail in a few years. As it’s been almost 20 years, he must be out of jail by now.
Fast X could have the best pay-off ever if Carter returns to get payback on Rome. The dialogue writes itself. Even if he doesn’t return in a sequel, as the Fast series is expanding the universe with spin-offs like Hobbs & Shaw, Carter Verone building his criminal empire would make for a great Fast & Furious spin-off.

Johnny Tran

Johnny Tran at Race Wars in The Fast and The Furious

It’s easy to forget that the Fast franchise is full of villains that only appeared in one movie, as the series is full of bad guys that feature in every new release, whether it’s Deckard Shaw or Cipher. It’s familial too, as Deckard set out to avenge his brother, who was the villain in Fast and Furious 6.
But the very first movie featured Johnny Tran, who only had one appearance as the main villain. It’s fascinating how the film portrays Tran as such a bad guy considering that Dom is just as villainous and possibly worse. Dom even punches Johnny for simply winning a race. The first film is delightfully melodramatic, and part of the reason why is the feud between Johnny and Dom’s crew.
NEXT: Every Fast & Furious Movie, Ranked By Fastness & Furiousness

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Fast & Furious 11 Needs Hobbs Vs. Dom (To End The Rock & Vin Diesel’s Feud)

Summary

Fast and Furious 11 needs to feature an epic fight between The Rock and Vin Diesel to resolve the real-life feud and bring closure to their characters’ relationship. The clash between Dom and Hobbs in Fast Five was a game-changer, and revisiting that epic confrontation in Fast 11 would elevate the action and add nostalgia. A showdown between Dom and Hobbs in Fast 11 could serve as a decisive moment of reconciliation, reaffirming the underlying themes of family and unity in the franchise.

Now that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has returned to the Fast Saga, Fast and Furious 11 needs to include an epic fight between Johnson and Vin Diesel. In the high-octane world of the Fast and Furious franchise, the thrill of fast cars and heart-stopping action has always been amplified by the magnetic on-screen chemistry between its stars. However, a real-life feud between The Rock and Vin Diesel has been brewing since 2016. Director Louis Leterrier achieved the impossible by bringing The Rock back into the fold. Now, he must find a way to reunite Luke Hobbs and Dominic Toretto on-screen.

Ever since Fate of the Furious, the void left by The Rock’s absence has grown more conspicuous. The actor’s feud with Vin Diesel has cast a shadow over the franchise, making it increasingly difficult for the writers and directors to craft a cohesive narrative. As Fast Saga fans await the next installment, all eyes are on Leterrier to weave a compelling story that not only showcases jaw-dropping action but also offers a chance for Hobbs and Dom to partake in an epic showdown.

Hobbs & Dom Fighting In Fast & Furious 11 Would Bring Their Arc Full Circle
Vin Diesel's Dom confronts Dwayne Johnson's Hobbs in Fast Five

Fast X and Fast and Furious 11 act as sequels to Fast Five in many ways, so it makes perfect sense for the upcoming installment to build on the fight scene between Dom and Hobbs from Fast Five. The clash between the two powerhouse characters left an indelible mark on fans. Revisiting that epic confrontation could elevate the adrenaline-fueled action and add a layer of nostalgia to Fast and Furious 11. Now that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has had a change of heart and returned to the Fast Saga, the anticipation for a rematch between his and Vin Diesel’s characters has reached a fever pitch.

Dom and Hobbs’ showdown in Fast Five was a game-changer for the franchise, propelling it to new heights with its intensity and raw energy. Given the unresolved tension between the two stars in real life, a meticulously crafted fight scene in Fast 11 has the potential to invigorate the climax of the series and provide a cathartic experience for the actors and fans alike. As Fast 11 may be the final chapter in the Fast and Furious universe, all eyes are on this anticipated clash. Hopefully, a brotherly fight will be the defining moment that brings harmony back to the Fast Saga family.

The Rock & Vin Diesel Can Put Their Feud To Rest On Screen
Hobbs holding on to Dom in Fast and Furious 5

Vin Diesel and The Rock’s personal history adds a layer of complexity to any potential fight between their characters in Fast and Furious 11. Given their real-life feud, it’s unlikely either actor would be portrayed as the clear winner or loser. Moreover, from a storytelling perspective, it would be counterproductive to have Dom excessively harm or kill Hobbs or vice versa. However, as the series approaches its potential end, a showdown between Dom and Hobbs could serve as a decisive moment of reconciliation. After all, throughout the Fast and Furious films, audiences have witnessed a recurring pattern of men engaging in physical conflicts before eventually forming unbreakable bonds.

For instance, Fast and Furious sees Dom and Brian’s tumultuous relationship evolve into a deep brotherly connection after a series of knock-down, drag-out fights. This same sort of understanding between Dom and Hobbs would reaffirm the underlying themes of reconciliation and family that have contributed to the franchise’s enduring popularity. By embracing the notion that they are, in a sense, brothers, Dom and Hobbs could mend their on-screen relationship and deliver a broader message of unity. This would ultimately give fans a satisfying conclusion to their relationship in Fast and Furious 11.

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Vin Diesel Posts Paul Walker Tribute On 10th Anniversary Of His Death

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Vin Diesel shares a touching tribute to Paul Walker 10 years after the actor’s tragic death on November 30, 2013. Diesel expresses that “more smiles manage to break through the tears” as years pass because he knows his bond with Walker will be stronger than ever when they eventually reunite. Walker’s character, Brian O’Connor, remains alive in the world of Fast and Furious, and Diesel has previously teased that the franchise won’t end without a proper farewell to Brian and Walker.

Fast and Furious star Vin Diesel takes to social media to share a touching tribute to Paul Walker, 10 years after the actor’s death. First released in 2001, the debut installment in the long-running Fast and Furious franchise introduces Diesel as Dominic Toretto and Walker as Brian O’Connor. Both characters would return for a number of sequels, but Walker tragically passed away on November 30, 2013, during the production of Furious 7.

Now, on the 10th anniversary of Walker’s passing, Diesel has shared a touching tribute post on Instagram to honor his late Fast and Furious costar. Check out the actor’s emotional post below:

Accompanying an image of Walker with one of his daughters, Diesel reminisces about an important lesson learned from the late actor and how his legacy still lives on today. Diesel’s full caption is included below:

I was listening to a song this morning…‘That Lucky Old Sun’… thought of you, racing around Heaven all day. Hahaha…
The family of the Mourning, feels like it has grown since a decade ago… feel’s like that experience of losing someone is far too common today. Leaving more and more of us in search for meaning, trying to make sense of this complex existence…
Oh, I have finally understood what you use to do with the phone, “phone Fasting”… you had the insight to turn off your phone for long stretches of time. I started this year to do just that. You used to say, Vin and I can go years without talking, and our brotherhood will always be stronger than we left it, the ones who truly love you will always be there.
Amen to that.
This is one of my favorite images ever taken… You knew how proud I was when my daughter, the Alpha Angel, your niece would play the piano… well last night she was playing Moonlight Sonata… it took me back to the night before she was born. Me and you were working late… you were telling me that the best moment in life would be witnessing my child being born. That priceless smile you had when I told you the next day that I had cut the umbilical cord…
The next song she started playing on the piano is by an artist you would have loved, named Billie Eilish, ‘What was I made for’… when she started to play, the other angels all came and joined her at the piano and they started singing… wow…emotions… angels, I know you were listening.
After ten years… I know these days of beautiful remembrance will be filled with tears. But as time rolls on, with each year that passes… more smiles manage to break through the tears. Cause I know, when I see you again… our brotherhood will be stronger than we left it.
Miss you.

Will Brian Be Seen Again In Fast & Furious?
Furious 7 Reveals How Paul Walker’s Character Can Return
CGI Paul Walker in Furious 7.

Walker’s death in November 2013 came with a great deal of sadness, but it also created problems for the Furious 7 production, which was about halfway done. It was ultimately decided that Walker’s remaining scenes would be completed with a digital recreation of the actor, with his two brothers, Cody and Caleb Walker, serving as body doubles. Although Walker may have passed away, Brian remains alive and well within the world of the films, though he has not been seen in the flesh since Furious 7’s emotional ending.

The closet audiences have come to seeing Brian again (outside of the flashbacks featured in Fast X) is at the end of F9: The Fast Saga, when the character’s iconic Nissan Skyline pulls up at Dom’s house. This summer’s Fast X supposedly sets up the conclusion of the franchise in an 11th and potentially 12th installment (in addition to the announced Dwayne Johnson Luke Hobbs spinoff movie), and it’s very likely that the final movie will see Brian return in some capacity.

Diesel has also essentially teased as much, telling Total Film (via GamesRadar) earlier this year: “I couldn’t imagine this saga ending without truly saying goodbye to Brian O’Conner.” It’s unclear if this will mean a substantial digital recreation of the actor for extended portions of the film or a quick cameo at the very end, but it seems like audiences haven’t seen the last of Brian just yet. Even in death, Walker remains a key pillar of Fast and Furious, and it’s fitting that the final film will feature another heartfelt goodbye to further honor the late actor.

Source: Vin Diesel/ Instagram

Fast and Furious 11 temp poster

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All 4 Fast & Furious Heroes Who Stayed Dead (& Which One Is Most Likely To Return)

Summary

Fast & Furious franchise is known for bringing back dead characters, but there are a few heroes who have remained dead. Jack Toretto, Dom’s father, died in a racing accident and his death should not be undone in the franchise. Jesse, a member of Dom’s crew, was killed in a drive-by shooting, while Vince was killed during an ambush. Elena, Dom’s love interest, was killed by the villain Cipher.

The Fast & Furious franchise has brought many characters back from the dead, but a handful of its heroes have remained killed off after their demise. The Fast Saga has taken its characters on a wild ride from street racing to the most outlandish adventures possible. The running theme of the Fast & Furious franchise has long been family, with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) building quite a large family indeed over the course of the Fast Saga’s run.

On top of its embrace of ridiculous, superhuman feats as a staple of its action scenes, the Fast & Furious movies are also well known for bringing back seemingly dead characters for more missions. The returns of Sung Kang’s Han in F9 and Gal Gadot’s Gisele Yashar in Fast X would be especially noteworthy in emphasizing the notion that no Fast & Furious death is irreversible. However, that is not entirely true, as there have been a few Fast & Furious heroes who have died and never come back.

RELATED: 10 Fast & Furious Characters Who Must Return In New Hobbs Spinoff

4 Jack Toretto
An image of Jack Toretto driving a car in F9

Jack Toretto (J.D. Pardo) is the father of Dom, Mia (Jordana Brewster), and Jakob Toretto (John Cena), and is first seen in a flashback to 1989 in F9. Jack is a highly skilled race car driver who instilled that talent in his children, with Dom and Jakob being part of his racing pit crew. However, Jack’s racing career took a tragic turn when his car malfunctioned and crashed, killing him. Dom later beat his father’s racing opponent, Kenny Linder (Jim Parrack), almost to death with a wrench, believing him responsible for his father’s demise.

This tragedy also led to Dom and Jakob falling out, with Dom later coming to believe that Jakob set up their father’s death since he was the last one to work on his car. However, Jack was intentionally attempting to throw the race in order to get his family out of debt. He had asked Jakob to help tinker with his car so that it would fail, with Jack’s death being unintentional on both their parts. While his return has been theorized by fans, of all the characters killed off in Fast & Furious, Jack Toretto’s death should never be retconned.

3 Jesse
Jesse in The Fast and the Furious pic

One of the early members of Dom’s family in the original The Fast and the Furious, Jesse (Chad Lindberg) was the brains of Dom’s crew in his enterprise of stealing DVD players. Jesse went on the run after losing a street race to Dom’s rival, Johnny Tran (Rick Yune), having bet his MK3 Volkswagen Jetta in the race. Jesse was later killed outside of Dom’s house when Johnny Tran and his associate Lance Nguyen (Reggie Lee) arrived and performed a drive-by shooting. Dom and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) then chased down Johnny Tran and Lance Nguyen to avenge their fallen friend.

2 Vince
fast and furious 5 vince

Vince (Matt Schulze) was another member of Dom’s crew in The Fast & the Furious, and he was badly injured during a truck heist in that first movie. After his recovery, Vince fled to Rio de Janeiro where he later reunited with Dom and family in Fast Five. Despite Vince having settled down with a wife and a baby son, he agreed to join Dom’s daring heist of Rio’s most feared crime boss Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida). Unfortunately, Vince was killed during an ambush by Reyes’s team. After successfully pulling off the heist, Dom left Vince’s intended share of the money with his wife and son.

1 Elena
Elena Neves walks with her gun drawn by a car

Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky) worked alongside Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) in apprehending Dom and his crew in Fast Five. She and Dom gradually developed feelings for each other, however, and departed for Spain with Dom at the end of the movie. After Dom learned that his wife Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) was still alive despite her apparent death in Fast & Furious, Dom and Elena had an amicable split, only for it to later be revealed that Elena is the mother of Dom’s son in The Fate of the Furious.

RELATED: How (& Where) To Watch The Fast & Furious Movies In Order By Release Date & Chronologically

After Elena was killed by the villainous Cipher (Charlize Theron), Dom and Letty raised the boy together, with the two naming him Brian after Brian O’Conner. Meanwhile, Dom later met Elena’s sister Isabel (Daniela Melchior), who joined Dom’s crew in Fast X. While Elena remains deceased as of Fast X, the arrival of her sister Isabel and Fast & Furious’s habit of not truly killing off characters makes her the most likely thought-to-be-dead hero to potentially return as the franchise speeds towards its finale.

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