The Fast & Furious franchise continues to move forward with a lot of success. The once laughed at films have become some of the biggest action movies in history. This newfound reputation has resulted in bigger name talents attaching themselves to this franchise, a trend started with The Rock's joining for Fast Five. Since then, Luke Evans, Jason Statham, and Kurt Russell have all played roles, and the latter two will be back for The Fate of the Furious.

Joining them in the ensemble will be Helen Mirren, fulfilling her longtime desire to get in on the franchise. Ever since she had joined, Mirren's role has been kept under wraps - the release of a photo of her and Vin Diesel on the Fate of the Furious set (see above), aside. Now, thanks to an interview with Evans - who is not slated to appear in Fate of the Furious - we now know who she will be playing.

Evans spoke to Yahoo about his past role as Owen Shaw in Fast & Furious 6, a role that landed his character in a coma and sent his brother Deckard Shaw (Statham) on the warpath for revenge in Furious 7. With Deckard joining the Furious squad as Dom (Diesel) works against them in Fate of the Furious, Evans was asked if Owen could wake up from that coma. He remains optimistic and confirmed that Mirren is playing Mrs. Shaw in the process:

People come around from comas, so who knows? He’s in a military hospital because he’s the most wanted man in the world, but he’s got a very powerful brother, and he’s now got a mum as well, who’s played by Helen Mirren.

For a man who is not confirmed to appear again in the franchise, Evans sure does know a lot about what comes next for the Fast & Furious series. While it remains to be seen if Evans appears in Fate of the Furious after all, this is the first confirmation that we have received regarding Mirren's role in the movie. With both of her sons locked away at the beginning of this film, mother Shaw could be out to seek vengeance on her own and free her boys.

As the only image of Mirren in Fate of the Furious released so far is of her with Diesel, it begs the question: is Mother Shaw responsible for Dom's turn to evil? There has been speculation that Charlize Theron's Cipher in Fate of the Furious might also be a member of the Shaw family, so it is possible that Cipher answers to her mother - herself, a mob boss of sorts. If that's the case, then the "Ride or Die" crew could have their hands full with a whole family of villains on the hunt for them, in the future.

That, however, is merely speculation at this point. Still, a "family vs. family" theme in The Fate of the Furious and beyond, wouldn't be a stretch for the family-oriented Fast & Furious brand - so there may yet be some truth behind this theory.

NEXT: Why Does Dom Betray His Fast & Furious Family?

Source: Yahoo

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