What Vin Diesel And The Fast X Cast Have Said About The Franchise Ending
The Fast & Furious franchise is steadily riding toward the end of its cinematic road. Much of the movie-loving public has known for some time now that the franchise is set to end after two more installments, the first of which being this year’s Fast X. Fans seem to have a lot of feelings about the fact that the long-running movie series is nearing its conclusion. But while plenty of longtime devotees have been getting candid, the cast (and even some of the crew) have been opening up on the matter as well. With that in mind, we’re going to dive into the sentiments that Vin Diesel, Ludacris and more have shared.
One might be tempted to assume that there’s just utter sadness on the part of the cast and crew, because of the fact that they’ve worked together on these movies for so long. However, their thoughts on the prospect of FF coming to a close are a bit more nuanced than that, which is all the more reason for us to discuss them. So at the risk of wasting more time, let’s shift this discussion in gear and look over the comments.
Vin Diesel Shared Diplomatic (And Somewhat Cryptic) Thoughts On The Conclusion Of Fast & Furious
It’s safe to say that Vin Diesel has pretty much taken the helm when it comes to stirring this car-centric series. Diesel – who’s played the role of righteous ex-convict Dominic Toretto – has quite a bit of influence at this point in his career. So if he wanted the box office-breaking saga to continue, the execs at Universal Pictures probably wouldn’t mind it. However, Diesel explained to the Associated Press back in 2021 that it’s time to put a nice bow on this series:
Every story deserves its own ending. I know people are going to feel like it doesn’t have to end, but I think all good things should. There are reasons for a finale. I think this franchise has deserved it.
That's a level-headed way to look at the situation, that’s for sure. Realistically, the finale had to come at some point and, at this point, how much more can the producers honestly do? (I mean, FF characters have even been to space at this point). So with the final installments on the horizon, the leading man is making plans for what could be a send-off that should please loyal fans. Something that he's been incredibly candid about is honoring his late co-star, Paul Walker, who played the role of Brian O’Conner in the first seven movies. Brian is now an unseen character within the fictional universe, and the Riddick alum recently confirmed that fans will truly get to bid farewell to him before the series’ closes:
That moment in 2013 when the world was struggling with his loss, the studio made a very bold and righteous, and daring decision to keep Brian O’Conner alive. I will give you this without spoiling anything: I couldn’t imagine this saga ending without truly saying goodbye to Brian O’Conner.
What's particularly interesting, though, is that Vin Diesel also dropped a big tease a few weeks before the latest FF movie's debut. He seemed to tease that the saga could end with a trilogy. Here's what he said in regard to a surprise 12th flick:
It’s a really good question. As filmmakers though, you want to allow people to enjoy the film without tipping the hat too much. I can say this, going into making this movie, the studio had asked if this could be a two-parter, and after the studio saw Part 1, they said, ‘Could you make Fast X, the finale, a trilogy?’
There are still a number of variables to consider here. Of course, one thing to ponder is whether Vin Diesel would return as Dom after the final two (or three?) flicks. When answering that question a while back, the star played coy, saying that “there is nothing that is off the table.” Whatever the case, it would seem that Diesel is currently going into this pair of productions with the notion that they’ll be the end all, be all.
Ludacris Is Choosing Not To Be Sad About FF Ending
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges – who plays Tej Parker – has been with this property since the second installment, 2003’s 2 Fast 2 Furious. So like many of his co-stars, he’s been heavily invested in this cinematic endeavor. The fan-favorite rapper is a straight shooter, typically giving honest responses when asked for his opinion on a topic. So when it came to the imminent conclusion of Fast & Furious, he had no problem explaining why he’s “not sad” about it:
They just announced that we're going to end on 10 and 11. Personally I thought we were going to end on 10 but I'm not at all sad about it because you got to think about, I came out in 2 Fast 2 Furious. We never knew we would get a callback from 5, now I've been in 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. And now they're telling me there's going to be two more? I'm happy! To hell with being sad, don't be sad! Be happy.
The rapper also spoke exclusively with CinemaBlend at the conclusion of the franchise and whether he's prepared to say goodbye to Fast & Furious. Similar to the sentiments above, he conveyed that he's prepared to part ways with Tej. The Hustle & Flow alum also revealed his biggest goal he has for the final movie in the saga:
My goal, no matter what is going on, is to always give something to the audience that they don't know about Tej so that you continue to learn something new about him. And if we're not able to grow the character, then I feel like my job there is no longer necessary. And luckily, we have been able to show something outside of what you already knew about him in each film. And so that's how I feel, man, and I love that he continues… He just progresses every single time. Nobody knew he could fight, you know, he started whooping ass after a certain amount of time. So it's just a lot that you don't know that you’re starting to find out.
It’s long been said that one shouldn’t be sad when something is over but that they should be happy that it happened. Kudos to Ludacris for looking on the bright side of things, and he’s right. He and his colleagues have certainly made their mark (and a whole lot of cash), thanks to FF. So why not walk away from the work with a smile?
Michelle Rodriguez Is Still Having A Ball As She Prepares To Close The Book On Letty
The Fast & Furious franchise wouldn’t be the same without Michelle Rodriguez, as she brings the right kind of badass energy to Letty Ortiz. As of this writing, the fan-favorite actress hasn’t gotten too candid about the prospect of saying goodbye to her character. However, she has been hyping up Fast X in a big way and in the process, has showered praise on director Louis Leterrier. Not long ago, she reflected on her journey a bit while explaining what Leterrier brings to the fold:
He came with all this energy of love. We haven't had that in Fast and Furious for a very long time where we get somebody excited who's a real fan and who really wants to take it places that it hasn't gone before. We've been at it for 20 years, bro. After all that time, you get jaded and kind of forget what you do it for [until] a director like Louis comes in and reminds you, 'This is beautiful. Let's go make magic.' We're so lucky to have him bro.
Additionally, Michelle Rodriguez teased something massive for the ending of Fast X. She told Inverse that “diehard fans in the audience are going to be there with their mouths open.” There’s no telling what she’s referring to exactly, but I’d wager that whatever it is, it’ll factor into the 11th and final movie in a big way.
Director Louis Leterrier Shared A Major Tease About The End Of the Franchise And Reacts To Vin Diesel's Trilogy Comments
Louis Leterrier was put into a difficult position with this gig, as he essentially had to step in and pick up the pieces after the departure of OG director Justin Lin. However, it sounds like the Incredible Hulk director managed to rise to the occasion and deliver something special. He also seems to understand that the stakes must be high when it comes to the franchise’s grand finale. When asked about the end, he teased an impending “war”:
There’s a war brewing. It’s coming to an end, and it is a race to the finish. There will be some tremendous casualties.
That's exciting but, of course, there's still the matter of those Vin Diesel trilogy comments. Louis Leterrier didn't hype up the notion all that much, as he reasoned that Diesel "will say anything to get out of that press line." However, the filmmaker didn't completely dash fans' hopes for an altered plan. He was diplomatic when providing further details on Diesel's sentiments:
Obviously the next one is coming, and then yeah, one movie at a time. I think the one thing that Hollywood keeps reminding us is that it's one step at a time, put one foot forward at a time. Let's count our blessings. We're very lucky this movie was well-received and well-loved, people went to see it in a movie theater and now they’re going to see it at home. It's one at a time. I mean maybe what he was saying is that there’s 25 years of filmmaking and storytelling, three acts, two hours and two movies, between the last one and this one, might not be enough to tell the story that is needed, and that’s what we’re figuring out these days.
So it sounds like fans may want to be cautiously optimistic when it comes to a potential trilogy. Regardless of exactly how many films are released, though, it sounds like the Fast & Furious franchise is set to go out with a serious bang. The latest installment set the stage for what should be an exciting conclusion, and it'll be exciting to see what awaits Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto and his family at the end of the road.
Fast X -- one of the biggest titles on the schedule of 2023 new movie releases -- is now available to own via premium video on demand or by purchasing it on a physical media format. The movie will also soon be available to stream with a Peacock subscription.
