Fast X might have been the first of a two (possibly three) part finale for the main franchise, but that didn’t stop it from raising a whole lot of questions. From the fate of main characters and the potential return of others, to missing figures and questionable allegiances, there’s still so much we need to learn before Dominic Toretto turns the NOS off forever. But which ones are the most pressing? These are the “X” biggest issues the Fast & Furious needs to address before it drives off into the sunset.
I: Did Tej, Roman, Han, and Ramsey really die in that plane crash?
C’moooon. We all know the answer: absolutely not. Those four are 100% alive. But there’s still intrigue around that plane crash. Exactly how did they survive? Did they have a tiny little glider like Jakob? Also, what awaits them on the ground? Will they now come to Dom and little Brian’s rescue? And how will all of this impact Han’s dating life? Those are actual Fast X questions that this furious franchise needs to give answers to.
II: Did Jakob do permanent emotional damage to little Brian in Fast X by having his nephew murder people?
We’re comfortable also giving this one an unequivocal “no,” because there are rarely any real stakes or long-lasting consequences in this franchise. But this moment was so absurd it would be professional pop culture malpractice not to address it. Jakob really, really shouldn’t have let his young nephew murder people when he could have simply fired his car cannon himself. So why did he do it? That should cause serious, lasting emotional damage to a child. It won’t, but it should!
Oh, yeah, he also saw his Uncle Jakob blow up. And a madman kidnapped him before trying to crush him with two semi-trucks. We’re very worried about young Brian and hope to find out he’s miraculously un-phased by all of this.
III: Will Dom and Little B survive Dante’s dam flood?
Okay, obviously some of these Fast X questions are not really up for debate. That burst dam is more likely to drown Jason Momoa’s Aquaman than it is the invincible Fast & Furious Superman known as Dominic Toretto. The intrigue around Fast X‘s big cliffhanger is exactly how he and his son will avoid certain death from a literal dam-sized flood. We’re expecting their escape will be absurd, physically impossible, and a whole lot of fun. So, you know, exactly what we love about these movies.
IV: Did John Cena’s Jakob really die in Fast X?
Wow, a question that doesn’t already have a definitive and obvious answer! Now we’re driving with NOS! In any other franchise entry we’d say there’s no way Jakob actually died. Letty and Han both survived exploding cars. But the end of the main franchise will likely need some permanent deaths for it to have a real emotional impact. And those previous fake-outs weren’t shown in slow-motion like Jakob’s apparent sacrifice, so there’s reason to think this one was really different.
Obviously John Cena can come back (we won’t argue with those who believe he definitely will), but this might be the rare Fast & Furious death that sticks.
V: Is Isabela Neves’ sister Elena really dead?
Speaking of dead characters, Fast X revealed the late Elena Neves had a younger sister named Isabela. She’s a talented street racer and a literal member of the Fast family. (She’s little Brian’s aunt.) With the Neves clan taking on a bigger role in the franchise, is it possible Elena will be the next character to come back from the dead? It wouldn’t even be that hard to explain. Cipher is twisted enough to have faked Elena’s death specifically sho she could use her as leverage over Dom a second time.
VI: Where is Tess’s Dad Mr. Nobody?
The world is on the brink and yet Mr. Nobody remains MIA. Is he hiding, dead, captured, or trapped in a Cyclops’ cave? (Wait, strike that last one. Wrong Nobody.) We don’t know where the Agency’s former leader is or what happened to him. All we know is his fast-driving associates and their new ally Tess, his own daughter, could really use his help stopping the maniacal Dante. So where is Mr. Nobody and why hasn’t he been around for multiple movies? The answer to this question might be the most important one in the whole franchise.
VII: What other targets of Dante Reyes’ vengeance will return to the franchise?
Dante Reyes wants to make any and all associates of Dominic Toretto suffer. His vision board showed countless faces from Dom’s past, including Eva Mendes’ Monica Fuentes. Will she return to the franchise like Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs has? What other figures from Fast‘s past will also return for this final ride? Luke Evans? Anyone who ever bought a crappy tuna sandwich from Mia? Everyone who has ever known Dom and his friends is now in danger and therefore a candidate to come back. Except for the guy in the tightey whities Deckard Shaw beat up.
VIII: Why did Gal Gadot’s Gisele return now?
We covered this absurd resurrection in-depth. It’s possible (likely?) Mr. Nobody helped Gal Gadot’s Gisele go into hiding just as he did with Han previously. But who aided her isn’t as important as why she faked her death in the first place. And why did she choose to come out of hiding now? We have a million questions about Gisele’s missing ten years, and somehow her showing up on giant submarine isn’t even in the top 900,000 things we’re confused about.
IX: Is Charlize Theron’s Cipher a part of the Fast family now?
The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but does that make them family? That’s the question Fast X raised about the franchise’s longtime villain Cipher. After a brutal fight her and Letty worked together to escape an Agency black site in Antarctica where a waiting Gisele found them. Are they formally working together against Dante? If so, does that mean Charlize Theron’s Cipher now part of the Toretto extended family the way so many other franchise foes have joined up with them? We hope not, but we can’t rule it out, especially if it turns out she didn’t actually kill Elena.
X: Will we ever see Brian return (in any way) on screen?
Ever since Paul Walker’s death the franchise has explained his character’s absence by saying Brian is keeping his kids safe when things get dangerous. But with the Fast & Furious coming to an end will we actually “see” Brian in some capacity? Could Walker return to help save the day via CGI or old footage like Carrie Fisher in The Rise of Skywalker? Or will they show Brian (maybe played by one of his brother’s again like in Furious 7) from behind, possible walking with his wife Mia or hugging Dom?
The Fast franchise has never forgotten its friend Paul. Will it also keep a role open for Brian in their farewell? It’s been a long time since he rode with them and it feels like we’ll see him again before this family’s story comes to an end.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
