The Fast and Furious franchise has reached its tenth installment with Fast X, and there are plenty of updates and new details to take a look at. The movie sees the return of Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his extended family back for more vehicular mayhem. The tenth movie will feature the core cast of the franchise returning for more fun, surprise returning characters, and some fun new additions, including Jason Momoa as the villain. With the May 2023 release date right around the corner, there's never been a better time to catch up on the newest movie in the Fast saga.
While the Fast and Furious franchise has been a proven hit for years now, this tenth movie has come with its share of trouble. The pandemic caused delays for F9, resulting in this already-planned sequel being pushed back as well. The feud between Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson also raged on with Johnson vehemently refusing Diesel's public request to return to the franchise. Shortly before filming was set to take place, director Justin Lin left the project and was replaced by Louis Leterrier too. However, despite all the drama, Fast X is on its way, and based on the latest news, it looks like a return to form.
Fast X: Latest News
While there's still an embargo when it comes to specific story details, critics have given their social reactions to Fast X, and the tweets from those who have seen the film are shockingly positive compared to F9. The movie has been praised for the typically outrageous action, Louis Leterrier's directing, and more than anything else, Momoa's performance as the new bad guy, Dante Reyes. The character has been called everything from "fierce and flamboyant" to "F&F's version of The Joker."
Joseph Deckelmeier's comments about the movie some up the general critical consensus, as he called it an "entertaining thrill ride. It’s a visual spectacle with some truly incredible stunts and some wildly outrageous moments you’d expect from the Fast franchise, but what Jason Momoa brings to the film as Dante is magic! His performance oozes charisma." Momoa has become one of the biggest box office draws in recent years and is inarguably the primary reason Aquaman made over $1 billion, and based on the comments about his performance in Fast X, he could do the same for the long-running action franchise.
Unfortunately, there are still some naysayers of those who have seen it, and Germain Lussier even thinks it's the worst of the franchise. The critic noted that Fast X "is the worst Fast yet. Yes, including [insert your least fave here]. The action is fun but it's the 1st film to not up the ante from the last one & the trademark notion of 'Family' is an afterthought. But! Jason Momoa is God-Level in it and worth the price of admission." However, even Lussier, who clearly hated the movie, was still a fan of Momoa's performance, and Dante could be the best villain of the franchise.
Kirsten Acuna represents the critics who sit on the fence about Dominic Torretto's tenth outing, as she tweeted, "Not perfect (end may divide fans), but it’s been growing on me & I can’t wait to see it again. Universal's def trying to make this its Infinity War." It's no secret that Universal took inspiration from the two-part ending to the MCU's Infinity Saga, as Fast X has been heavily promoted as being the first of two movies that promise to be the epic conclusion to the series. However, the director and cast have also been hyping up Fast X's cliffhanger ending, which, according to Acuna, might not be that exciting.
Fast X: Release Date
Fast X will be released in theaters on May 19, 2023. The initial release date was announced as April 2, 2021. However, F9 ended up being delayed considerably due to the COVID-19 pandemic which meant the tenth movie would be pushed back indefinitely. Vin Diesel later announced a possible February 2023 release which was then officially set for the current May 2023 slot.
Confirmation for Fast X began all the way back in 2014 with news that there would be at least three more movies in the franchise following Furious 7. In 2017, producer Neal H. Moritz stated that not only would there be a tenth movie but that it would reserve as the final Fast and Furious movie. However, it was later confirmed that the franchise's end would be split into two parts with the movie following Fast X ending the series.
Fast X: Cast
The main cast of the franchise up to this point will all be returning for Fast X. Along with Vin Diesel (Dom) there will also be Michelle Rodriguez (Letty), Tyrese Gibson (Roman), Chris "Ludacris" Bridges (Tej), Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey), and Jordana Brewster (Mia). Also returning to the franchise are John Cena (Jakob), Jason Statham (Deckard Shaw), Sung Kang (Han), Scott Eastwood (Little Nobody), Michael Rooker (Buddy), Cardi B (Leysa), Helen Mirren (Queenie), and Charlize Theron (Cipher).
Jason Momoa will play Dante Reyes, the villain of the sequel, and the son of Fast Five's villainous Hernan Reyes who seeks revenge on Dom and the others for the murder of his father. Brie Larson plays Tess, a new ally to Dom and the daughter of Fast & Furious franchise character Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). Daniela Melchoir plays a Brazilian street racer who has ties to Dom. Jack Reacher star Alan Ritchson plays a government agent taking over Mr. Nobody's role who doesn't think highly of Dom and his crew. Rita Moreno also joins the franchise as the grandmother of Dom, Mia, and Jakob.
While there was originally no detail on who, there was word that there will be a huge cameo in the Fast X credit scene, which will be a returning character from the series. Now, Diesel revealed at the movie's premiere in Rome that the cameo is none other than Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), which comes after a six-year-long feud between Diesel and Johnson. While Johnson's return to Fast & Furious is great news, it doesn't make much sense why Diesel would spoil the post-credits scene.
Fast X: Story Details
The first trailer provided a lot of details and updates for fans on the story for Fast X. Jason Momoa's character of Dante ties directly into Fast Five as the son of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes. Dante will target Dom and his crew, including kidnapping Dom's son Brian. Momoa's character appears truly relish his villainy in the trailer, and Michelle Rodriguez has called him the "best male villain" the franchise has had to date.
Beyond that, it also appears as though fans will get a resolution to the storyline between Han and Deckard Shaw with them teaming up in the trailer. Charlize Theron's Cipher returns for her third appearance in the franchise, further teasing her as a major player behind the scenes, perhaps helping to set up the final threat in the next installment.
With the movie setting up the final Fast & Furious chapter, fans will likely expect that not every plot line in Fast X will be resolved. That being said, fans are likely also in for a cliffhanger ending to whet their appetites for the next movie. Rodriguez was shocked by the film's ending when she saw a screening of the movie, even going so far as to ask, "what have we done?" when she realized how the audience would be left at the end of the story.
Fast X: Trailer
The final trailer for Fast X has been released, and at an atypically-long four-and-a-half minute it revealed a lot about the movie. Following the previous trailers, which mostly showcased Dante's theatricality, the new trailer gives almost every main character their time to shine. Most notably, the final Fast X trailer depicts a more easy-going Jakob, who's playing the cool uncle type when he saves Dom's son from a home invasion, and later on, Jakob high-fives his nephew when blowing up enemies, which is completely different from the Jakob in F9.
Fast X's newest trailer thankfully reveals that, despite the high stakes, Roman and Tej's banter hasn't left. The trailer unveils Tej's remote-controlled miniature vehicle, which even has a Tej bobblehead attached to it, which Roman calls "Tiny Tej". The opening of the Fast X also trailer gives a closer look at Abuela, Dom's grandmother. On top of what hasn't been seen before, the final Fast X trailer gives extended looks at the movie's epic action sequences, such as Letty and Cipher's showdown, Han and Deckard making an unlikely head-butting team, and Dom racing down the side of the dam.
