The upcoming Fast X will add such stars as Rita Moreno and Brie Larson to the growing roster of The Fast Saga. From Vin Diesel to Michelle Rodriguez to Dwayne Johnson to Jason Statham, the cast of the Fast & Furious franchise contains some of the most beloved action movie stars in the world.
The Fast & Furious movies aren’t the only high-octane action thrillers that these actors have starred in. Diesel alone has headlined two other big action movie franchises, The Rock is a franchise unto himself, and John Cena went toe-to-toe with an Autobot.
Pitch Black (2000) – Starring Vin Diesel
Before he was Dominic Toretto, Vin Diesel was Richard B. Riddick, a notorious mercenary stranded on a desert planet while being transported to a space prison in Pitch Black. As if being marooned isn’t bad enough, Riddick and the other survivors of the crash landing are promptly attacked by the predatory creatures that inhabit the planet.
The perfect intersection of action, sci-fi, and horror, Pitch Black has garnered a cult following in the years since it was dismissed by contemporary critics.
Bumblebee (2018) – Starring John Cena
Just when critics didn’t think they could possibly love a Transformers movie, Bumblebee came along. A throwback to Amblin’s ‘80s classics, Bumblebee is an E.T.-style coming-of-age tale in which a social outcast – played brilliantly by Hailee Steinfeld – develops a heartfelt friendship with an alien who lands on Earth.
A few years before he played Dom and Mia Toretto’s estranged brother, John Cena played one of the government guns on Bumblebee’s tail.
The Transporter (2002) – Starring Jason Statham
Jason Statham was one of the biggest action movie stars in the world long before taking the role of Deckard Shaw in the Fast & Furious franchise. He’s fought everyone from Jet Li to a 75-foot prehistoric shark on the big screen. His first starring role in a franchise was special operations soldier-turned-outlaw driver Frank Martin in The Transporter series.
The movie is short on plot and character development, but its high-octane action set-pieces make up for it. The Transporter and its sequels are pure popcorn entertainment.
San Andreas (2015) – Starring Dwayne Johnson
In the years since taking on the role of Luke Hobbs in The Fast Saga, Dwayne Johnson has become a franchise unto himself. There aren’t a lot of stars left who can draw huge crowds to their movies based on their involvement alone, but The Rock is one of them. In 2015, he starred in a dazzling throwback to classic disaster movies.
San Andreas stars Johnson as a helicopter rescue pilot who desperately tries to save his ex-wife and his daughter when a devastating earthquake hits the West Coast. The visual effects are mind-blowing and the story is surprisingly emotional.
Wonder Woman (2017) – Starring Gal Gadot
After being killed off in tragic fashion in the Fast & Furious franchise, Gal Gadot was given a flagship role as Diana Prince in the DC Extended Universe. A year after critics praised her debut as one of the few highlights in Batman v Superman, Gadot headlined her own movie to much more critical acclaim.
By favoring sincerity over cynicism, Patty Jenkins revitalized the superhero genre and proved that female-led comic book movies can be huge hits with 2017’s Wonder Woman.
Machete (2010) – Starring Michelle Rodriguez
Starring Danny Trejo as the titular federale-turned-bounty hunter, Machete is a feature-length expansion of a fake trailer from the double feature Grindhouse. Michelle Rodriguez, better known to Fast & Furious fans as Letty, co-stars as his revolutionary sidekick alongside such actors as Robert De Niro, Jessica Alba, and Cheech Marin.
From the mind of one-man film crew Robert Rodriguez, Machete is a spot-on homage to exploitation B-movies. The violence is gruesome, but it’s a lot of fun.
Training Day (2001) – Starring Eva Mendes
A couple of years before she was cast in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Eva Mendes got her breakout role in the gritty crime thriller Training Day. An Oscar-winning Denzel Washington stars as the crooked veteran detective tasked with taking Ethan Hawke’s naive rookie out on his first day. Mendes plays a crucial role as the mistress of Washington’s character.
Director Antoine Fuqua keeps the tension simmering throughout the whole runtime, while David Ayer’s script focuses on the characters and their dynamic amidst the violent cops-‘n’-robbers action.
Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014) – Starring Vin Diesel
Who knew a talking tree could become such a beloved character? Vin Diesel created a globally adored icon with just three words in Guardians of the Galaxy. With nothing more than the phrase “I am Groot” – and, in his heartbreaking final moments, the phrase “We are Groot” – Diesel captured the hearts of audiences across the world.
James Gunn and Nicole Perlman’s airtight script strikes the perfect balance between lighthearted banter, emotionally engaging character work, and action-packed comic book spectacle.
Escape From New York (1981) – Starring Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell has one of the longest and most prolific careers of anyone in the Fast & Furious cast. He got his start as a teen actor working for Disney before John Carpenter made him a badass action hero in the 1980s with the role of eyepatch-wearing antihero Snake Plissken in Escape from New York.
This cult classic dystopian thriller takes place in a future where Manhattan Island has been converted into a giant maximum-security prison. When the President’s plane goes down over New York, Plissken is given just 24 hours to save him in exchange for a pardon.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – Starring Charlize Theron
Before playing a villainous cyberterrorist in The Fast Saga, Charlize Theron stole the spotlight in George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road from Max himself with her ferocious turn as Furiosa. Fury Road is basically a feature-length car chase with even more vehicular carnage than a Fast & Furious movie.
The breathtaking action sequences in Fury Road were achieved with minimal CGI and maximal practical stunt work. Miller told the story entirely through visuals; Fury Road could be watched anywhere in the world without subtitles and still be understood.