“Fast X” is now out in cinemas everywhere and with it has come plenty of chatter regarding the film’s numerous cameos, the cliffhanger ending previously teased by its stars, and the various turns the story takes.
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD FOR “FAST X”
The film’s director Louis Leterrier has spoken with several outlets about some of the creative choices made in regard to the film. First up, he chatted with EW about John Cena’s character Jakob and his death.
In the film’s final action set piece, Jakob is transporting Dom’s son Brian (Leo Abelo Perry) to safety when Dante (Jason Momoa) kidnaps him. Dom pursues him, but Jakob realizes he must protect Dom and the kid – sacrificing himself to kill Dante’s men in a massive explosion.
The move marks the end of Cena’s involvement in the franchise following his introduction as the villain in “F9”. Letterier says the death was an idea he came up with early on after meeting Cena – and the news upset the actor a bit:
“I’m like, ‘That man can be a badass but cannot be a bad guy. There’s no mean bone in his body. I said to John, ‘You will have to sacrifice yourself, to give the ultimate gift to your brother to save his son,’ and it upset him.
I pitched him between two takes as I’m over there resetting the camera. I pitched him this thing and then he loved it. And that literally changed his performance because he understood where he was going. ‘I’m going to give so much love so then the sacrifice really hurts.’ And it really does hurt.”
Of course, does anyone really die in this franchise? The series is famous for resurrecting multiple seemingly dead characters, and does so again here with at least one of the cameos being Gal Gadot returnning as Gisele – last seen fallout out a plane in “Fast 6”. The reveal has raised the obvious question as to whether Han (Sung Kang) knew Gisele was alive the whole time.
Gadot confirmed her return a few hours ago on Instagram, posting photos and saying: “Missed my Fast family! I’m overwhelmed with excitement. To my fans, your continuous love and support fuels this journey. Here’s to honoring the legacy, the fans and the Fast Family that we’ve built together!”
Meanwhile, the film ends on a cliffhanger with a plane explosion seemingly taking out at least four regulars (albeit behind a hill) whilst Dante prepares to blow a dam that could seemingly kill Dom and his son.
“Fast X Part 2,” whether it be the second half of this story of the middle part of a trilogy, is slated to debut in 2025.
