Louis Leterrier’s absolutely bonkers Fast X released this weekend in theaters and features appearances by just about every Fast team member from the last ten years. This sets up a star-filled final (or maybe not) entry in Fast 11 featuring plenty of Fast & Furious character returns and familiar faces rejoining its cast.
The film ends with a shocking appearance by Gal Gadot’s Gisele, who arrives in Antarctica via submarine and looks fantastic for someone who fell out of a moving plane a decade ago. We also get appearances from Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), Abuelita Toretto (Rita Moreno), Queenie Shaw (Helen Mirren), Diogo (Luis da Silva), Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), and a few celebrity cameos — Pete Davidson, Debby Ryan, and Josh Dun. Sure.
Still, despite the wild cameo lineup, a few characters from the Fast Saga remain absent from the fun. Here are a couple of Fast & Furious characters we’d love to see return in future movies, such as Fast 11.
Carter Verone (Cole Hauser)
Once upon a time, Rip from Yellowstone appeared in a Fast and Furious sequel, and nobody noticed. That’s most likely because said film was 2003’s awful 2 Fast 2 Furious, a movie so bad even Eva Mendes couldn’t save it. No matter. Now is the time for all involved in that disastrous follow-up to make amends.
Imagine Carter Verone working alongside Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes, eager to exact revenge on Tyrese Gibson’s Roman Pearce. The writers would have to do a lot of explaining to justify Brian O’Conner’s absence, but considering the character has sat on the back burner for nearly a decade, I’m sure that won’t be a problem. Also, bring Mendes back. And maybe Suki (Devon Aoki).
Brixton Lore (Idris Elba)
Considering how bonkers Fast X is, bringing a literal super-powered human into the fold makes sense. I’m talking about Brixton Lore, the cybernetically altered villain of the ridiculous Hobbs & Shaw spinoff. At this juncture, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) can basically move mountains with his bare fists, so bringing back Brixton (last seen falling off a cliff) would give him an excellent physical challenge to overcome.
Arturo Braga (John Ortiz)
I dug Arturo Braga. He ranks as one of the best Fast Saga villains thanks to his ruthless pursuit of power and John Ortiz’s manic performance. From what I remember, the last we saw of the man was in that weird prison scene in Fast and Furious 6, licking a fresh set of wounds. As a strategist, it makes sense for Dante to bring him into his inner circle to round out the Fast 11 characters, especially since he harbors a grudge against our heroes.
Tokyo Drift’s Supporting Cast
Considering Justin Lin’s Tokyo Drift remains a pivotal entry in the franchise as the one that effectively used a Vin Diesel cameo to generate hype for more films, it makes too much sense not to bring back the gang. We’ve seen plenty of Sean Boswell (Lucas Black), but I want more D.K. (Brian Tee), Twinkie (Bow Wow), and Neil (Nathalie Kelley). I’d love to see Zachery Ty Bryan’s bully Clay return in some way, shape, or form — make him a deadbeat delivery driver or a successful celebrity.
Owen (Luke Evans) and Hattie Shaw (Vanessa Kirby)
Where the hell was Owen Shaw? The Fast and Furious 6 villain seemingly cleaned up his ways and aided Deckard’s attempts to rescue Dom’s kid. Somehow, he’s absent from Fast X, though I imagine Deckard will recruit him to protect dear old Queenie in the next installment. Still, his absence was a bit bizarre, considering the character’s relevance to the franchise. Ditto with Hattie, who should return based on Vanessa Kirby’s star power alone.
Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker)
Look, we all know an appearance from Brian O’Conner is coming. The series continues to hint about the beloved character despite giving him a proper send-off in Furious 7. Why keep talking about him unless you plan to bring him back? At one point in Fast X, Dom gets all emotional talking about his relationship with Brian, creating this weird conundrum — Paul Walker is dead, but Brian is alive. Either move on from Brian’s character or bring him back. The momentous episode will likely occur in the last film and serve as a terrific piece of hackneyed fan service. Whether it’s morally acceptable is up for debate (although his brothers are open to it), but as long as Brian (the character) lives, he can make his long-awaited return.