Sung Kang opens up about the Justice for Han movement and says that said justice has yet to be delivered for the character despite his F9 return. The latest chapter of the Fast & Furious franchise sees Dominic Toretto and his family forced to go up against Charlize Theron's cyberterrorist Cipher once again after her escape during the climax of The Fate of the Furious. Things get personal for Dom, however, as Cipher is working with John Cena's Jakob Toretto, Dom's estranged brother and master thief and assassin.
F9 saw the return of Justin Lin to the director's chair for the first time since 2013's Fast & Furious 6 but also marked his first time helping write the script. Lin's return helped open the door for Kang to come back to the fold as fan-favorite character Han, whom he originally helped create in with his 2002 breakout hit drama Better Luck Tomorrow. Vieweers had been calling for justice to be delivered for the character as the arbiter of his demise, Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, shifted from antagonist to protagonist with Fate and spin-off Hobbs & Shaw and while Lin's decision to come back was inspired by the movement, it sounds like the effort isn't over.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter to discuss his return, Kang opened up about the Justice for Han movement that has been underway for the past few years. Humbled by the fans' gesture while also aware of the deeper meaning for the movement, Kang found a new connection to the role and says that the journey isn't over anytime soon to find Han his justice. See what Kang had to say below:
"It taught me and instilled in me that Fast is no longer hokey. I used to always think of it as a hokey action flick, but within that, there’s so much power to make a difference and truly impact people. So I was totally honored, and that’s when I started taking it super seriously. As Sung, it’s fairy-tale land right now. But within the story, if you just take away my personal feelings and involvement, yeah, it hasn’t been served. It hasn’t been served because someone that is dear to Han [Gal Gadot’s Gisele] is not here anymore. So how is that resolved? And if I find the man responsible for it [Luke Evans’ Owen Shaw], what do I do to him? So we’ll see."
For those unfamiliar or uninterested in the Fast & Furious franchise, it may have come as a surprise to some to learn that the first actress to portray Wonder Woman in a film found her first international stardom with the Vin Diesel-fronted series. But for those who have been with it across all ten films, the death of Gal Gadot's Gisele is still one that pulls at some heartstrings, namely for the connection she and Han shared and it acting as a catalyst to send Han back to Tokyo and — initially — his death. Given what seemed like a pretty definitive end for Han in Tokyo Drift/Furious 7, it certainly seems possible Gisele could return to the story, should Gadot have the time and interest to do so.
Even if she doesn't, though, Kang's words regarding the Justice for Han movement ring strong, as the character's return certainly isn't enough. What matters is how Lin and the creative team continue Han's story past F9: The Fast Saga and resolve the various emotional conflicts for the character in the final two mainline installments. Only time will tell if Han will get the justice he rightfully deserves in a way that satisfies fans of both his and Deckard.
Source: THR