After a long delay from the previous installment, the beloved Fast and Furious franchise is set to return with F9. The movie will see Dom and the family return for another high-octane action-adventure. Along with all the characters fans love, there will also be some interesting new faces and some returning ones.
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It is still pretty unbelievable this franchise has managed to deliver nine movies in the main series, each one wilder than the last. But with so much story covered over the course of those movies, fans may have forgotten some key elements that play into this latest chapter. Here are some important highlights to keep in mind before seeing F9.
Hobbs And Shaw Are Doing Their Own Thing
![Hobbs and Shaw walk while holding a hammer and a bat, respectively](https://static1.srcdn.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Highest-Grossing-Fast-And-Furious-Presents-Hobbs-Shaw.jpg)
Dwayne Johnson joined the Fast and Furious franchise in Fast Five and was seen as a great jolt of energy to the series. Likewise, Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw made for an exciting villain in Fast and Furious 7 before becoming an ally in the next movie.
The chemistry between these two characters was obvious, and partially due to some behind-the-scenes drama, they were given their own spin-off movie with Hobbs and Shaw. While their return is possible before the franchise ends, neither Johnson nor Statham will appear in this adventure.
Dom Has A Son
In Fate of the Furious, Dom seems to turn on his family out of nowhere and begins working for the villainous Cipher. However, it is revealed that the reason for his treachery is because Cipher has kidnapped Elena and the son Dom never knew he had.
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After Elena is killed and Cipher is defeated, Dom takes in his new son, who he named Brian after his best friend. Reuniting with his new wife Letty, they seem ready to start their own family together.
There Will Be A Time Jump
Thanks to numerous delays, it has been four years since the last official Fast and Furious movie. But while it wasn’t the initial plan, the gap will actually work out in terms of the story, as the trailer confirmed there will be a significant time jump in the movie.
While young Brian Toretto was just a baby in the last movie, the trailer shows that he is at least a few years older now. It will be interesting to see how much has changed in those years in between and what surprises it might mean for the story.
Cipher Is Still Out There
While the villains in the Fast and Furious franchise have always been a little hit-or-miss, Charlize Theron as Cipher was an interesting and intimidating antagonist in the last movie. In Fate of the Furious, she was using Dom to fulfill her plan of starting a nuclear war, only for it to be foiled.
However, she managed to get away and will return in F9. However, unlike Deckard Shaw, it doesn’t look like Cipher will be turning over a new leaf and joining the good guys. She seems to have a certain vendetta against Dom now.
A Bigger Threat May Be Out There
While Cipher will apparently be the new big bad for this movie, there is still a possibility that an even bigger threat is lurking somewhere out there. In Hobbs and Shaw, the villainous Brixton is working for some unseen and very powerful mastermind who is purposely kept a mystery.
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Some fans have speculated that it is indeed Cipher behind it all, but there is also the possibility that Cipher is working for someone else who has yet to be revealed. This could be further teased in this movie to set up the final back-to-back installments.
Shaw’s Mother
Dom is always the one talking about family in these movies, but somehow the Shaw family seems to be taking over everything. It started with Owen Shaw as the villain in Fast and Furious 6 before his brother Deckard arrives. Along with Hattie Shaw in the spin-off movie, there is also Queenie, the matriarch of the family.
Queenie, played by Helen Mirren, was introduced in Fate of the Furious and played a big role in helping Dom rescue his son from Cipher. She will be returning in this movie and seems to be getting in on the action more as she teams with Dom again.
Sean And The Tokyo Drift Crew
Being the only movie in the franchise in which Dom or Brian is not the main character, Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift is often forgotten by fans. However, with the return of a key character from that movie, it seems like it is being folded into the franchise a little more going forward.
The movie followed a young American street racer named Sean Boswell who moves to Tokyo where he becomes a competitor in the underground racing world. Sean and several other characters from Tokyo Drift appear to be at least making an appearance in this movie.
Han Was Supposedly Killed By Shaw
One of the most controversial aspects of the entire franchise was the death of Han and the reaction to it. Han is seemingly killing in Tokyo Drift, only for it later to be revealed that the driver who struck his car was Deckard Shaw, who then went after the rest of Dom’s crew.
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While it was an interesting way of tying Han’s death into the overall story, the fact that Shaw was then forgiven and made an ally didn’t sit well with many of them. In a response to this, Han will make his return in F9, revealing that he didn’t really die.
Mia And Brian Started Their Own Life
The Fast and Furious franchise was dealt a huge blow with the tragic death of Paul Walker, who had played Brian O’Conner since the first movie. However, he was given a fitting ending, as it was explained that he and Mia would go off to raise their family together.
After not appearing in Fate of the Furious, Mia will make her return in this movie, which makes sense considering the introduction of her other brother, Jakob. With Mia’s inclusion, fans can expect there to be more revealed about Brian’s life now.
Dom’s Father
John Cena will join the series in F9 as Jakob Toretto, Dom’s brother who also serves as the villain of the movie. It is a little silly that there has been no mention of Jakob thus far in the movie, but Dom has touched on his troubled past before.
In the first movie in the franchise, Dom explains to Brian that his father was a racer who died in a terrible race accident. Dom blamed one of the other drivers and nearly killed the man. Given all the bad blood among the family that will be brought up, it’s safe to assume the death of Dom and Jakob’s father will play into it as well.
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