The Fast & Furious franchise is ending in the near future after an incredibly successful run. Universal and star Vin Diesel have watched as the Fast & Furious movies have grown in popularity since the series began in 2001. Now recognized as one of the most successful franchises in movie history, Fast X is expected to continue the tradition. Diesel's return as Dominic Toretto for the sequel comes as he and many other main cast members have been part of the series for over two decades. However, the movie is also already being sold as the beginning of the end for the franchise.
Despite the success that the Fast & Furious franchise has long seen, ending the main saga is something that has to happen at some point. Instead of shocking audiences with a late announcement that about the conclusion, Diesel and Universal have been very upfront about the fact the Toretto Saga is almost complete. This can be seen with the Fast X poster and its tagline, "The end of the road begins." Of course, this raises questions like when and why the Fast & Furious franchise is ending, especially as the movies remain incredibly popular.
The Fast & Furious Franchise Is Ending Due To Its Longevity
There are several factors that have brought Universal and Diesel to agree that it is time for the Fast & Furious franchise to end. The impressive longevity of the film series has certainly played a factor in the decision. Franchise stars like Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, and Jordana Brewster have been playing their characters for over 20 years at this point. The franchise is arguably already at the point where Dominic's role in action-heavy sequences is becoming less believable. It is in Diesel's best interest to end the series before he cannot keep up with the physical requirements.
Vin Diesel has also spoken about his desire to give audiences a real finale. He told Vulture that this was a driving force behind the decision for the Fast & Furious franchise ending in the near future. He said that fans of the main Fast Saga movies are owed a conclusion. Diesel rightfully pointed out that every good story has an ending, so it is better for the franchise's legacy to deliver that in some form. It might be bittersweet to many viewers, but similar to how Avengers: Endgame ended the Infinity Saga story, it is Diesel's hope that something similar will happen when the Fast & Furious franchise ends.
It could also make some financial sense to market the upcoming movies as the Fast & Furious franchise finale. After making two $1 billion movies with the seventh and eighth installments, F9's box office dipped considerably. While this is at least partially due to COVID-19, it could also be a sign that audiences are starting to lose interest in the current saga. However, marketing Fast X as the beginning of the end is a smart way to potentially reinvigorate interest and drive Fast X's box office numbers higher. This also prevents a scenario where a proper Fast & Furious franchise ending does not happen due to poor box office performance.
Fast & Furious 11 Is The Final Movie In The Main Saga
It is confirmed that Fast & Furious 11 is the final movie in the main franchise saga. Diesel and Universal originally announced plans for Fast X and Fast & Furious 11 at the same tie, with Justin Lin expected to direct both installments after returning for F9. This decision was directly inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the two-part Phase 3 story that unfolded in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. It was originally reported that Fast X and Fast & Furious 11 would shoot back-to-back, which could have allowed the franchise finale to come out shortly after the first part.
There are very few details actually confirmed about Fast & Furious 11, though. It is expected that Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Jordana Brewster, and Nathalie Emmanuel will return for starring roles. It has even been teased that Paul Walker's Brian O'Connor could return in Fast & Furious 11 in some capacity. However, it will not be until after Fast X releases that story details for the franchise finale become more clear. No matter what happens in the movie itself, Fast & Furious 11 will be where the main Fast & Furious franchise ends - as long as the plan does not change.
When Will Fast & Furious 11 Be Released?
Although plans to make Fast & Furious 11 are official, there has never been an announcement about when the franchise finale will be released in theaters. Universal has yet to give the movie a specific release date, but that could be due to how the sequels changed. Justin Lin exited Fast X just days into production, resulting in a halt to filming before director Louis Leterrier came aboard. It is not confirmed that Leterrier is returning, and the plans to shoot the sequel right after Fast X appear to have changed too. Understandably, that has left Universal without a need to preemptively announce a Fast & Furious 11 release date.
With Fast X releasing in May 2023, there are some reasonable options for when Fast & Furious 11 will be released. The franchise traditionally likes to only have two years pass between installments. This would mean Fast & Furious 11 releasing in theaters in May 2025 and competing with a few major titles already dated for around then, like potential box office champ Avengers: The Kang Dynasty. However, the more fitting option would be a June 2026 release, as this would mean the Fast & Furious franchise is ending almost exactly 25 years after it began with The Fast and the Furious.
Will More Fast & Furious Movies Be Made After 10 & 11?
The Fast & Furious franchise is ending with Fast & Furious 11, but more movies are also likely to be made. The next two films are envisioned as the finale of the main franchise that revolves around Dominic Toretto. However, even Vin Diesel knows that more Fast & Furious movies are likely to come after he stops playing Dom. It is already known that Hobbs & Shaw 2 is in development with Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, but it is still going to take some time to make due to their schedules. Diesel has also repeatedly teased the development of an all-female Fast & Furious movie featuring several familiar characters.
On top of the Fast & Furious movies that are known to be in some stage of development, other spinoffs and sequels are also a possibility. Sung Kang's return as Han has ignited hopes for a The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift sequel, possibly even including Gal Gadot's Gisele. Fast X could also set up several spinoffs for new characters played by Brie Larson or Alan Ritchson. A young Dominic Toretto prequel movie could even happen after F9, while John Cena's Jakob could also become the face of a new Fast Saga to keep the Toretto family somewhat involved after the Fast & Furious franchise ending happens.
