The Fast & Furious movies may be all about family, but with Hobbs & Shaw making Jason Statham's former villain into a certified hero of the series, some fans aren't happy. But despite appearances, the movie's writer confirms that fans WILL get justice for Han's death at the hands of Deckard Shaw... eventually.
Those less than pleased fans have a legitimate gripe with the makers of the Fast & Furious series. After all, Sung Kang's role as 'Han' in Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift proved to be such a fan-favorite, the entire timeline of the Fast & Furious series was shifted forward to allow him more (prequel) appearances. The timelines came crashing together when Deckard Shaw's premeditated murder of Han was revealed in a credits scene, making him the most personal villain yet for Furious Seven. And soon, the franchise's newest star... so yes, some explanation is overdue.
That explanation has been directly addressed by Hobbs & Shaw writer Chris Morgan, who confirms that the death of Han has not been as forgotten as some fans may fear. As the writer of Tokyo Drift, Fast Five, Furious 6, Furious Seven, and The Fate of The Furious (and producer since Fast Five) Morgan's words should hold a great deal of weight. As the person who killed Han, resurrected him, and made his murderer a part of the team, it's a relief to hear that he, too, is fully behind the calls demanding 'Justice for Han.'
The jury is out on whether or not being apologetic, or blaming brotherly revenge for the murder of the franchise's most beloved supporting character will repair any of the damage. But as Morgan explains to EW, this chapter of Deckard Shaw's story starts to deal with his most unforgivable act directly:
I love ‘justice for Han.’ Sung Kang is a great friend, and Han is a character that I adore. I would say that the super-arc for Deckard Shaw is going to be one of the most interesting, cool, rewarding character arcs in the franchise. Justice for Han is owed. It’s something we have discussed for a very long time and want to give the right due to. I think the audience will be satisfied and should know it’s coming.
There’s a line in Hobbs & Shaw that is right before the battle in Samoa where Shaw says to his sister, ‘There’s things I’ve done that I have to make amends for.’ That line was specifically written and put in there just to let everyone know that he is talking about Han — it is on his mind. It tortures him, and he’s going to get to it.
The fans can decide for themselves how satisfied they are with how Hobbs & Shaw deals with the death of Han. But with Morgan making the guilt and punishment sound more internalized (at least to start with) we doubt it will do much to win over the most outspoken critics of the direction taken with the reformed villain.
There's no telling what the future will hold for the character, the spinoff sub-franchise, or even Han's deceased status. But a villain murdering a member of the Fast & Furious family, attempting to kill Brian and Mia and their child, and winning himself a standalone spinoff movie in the process will always be controversial. That's as hard to believe as the murderer of Iron Man's parents becoming a fan-favorite choice for the new Captain America... without the 'brainwashing' excuse, obviously.
Source: Entertainment Weekly
