Warning! Spoilers ahead for Fast X.Fast X has to make some retcons and character changes to the established The Fast Saga for its story to work. Dominic Toretto and his “La Familia” re-assemble for another adventure as they face off with a very different foe in Jason Momoa’s flamboyant and eccentric villain, Dante. The franchise’s protagonists have faced so many challenges in its two-decade history, but as The Fast Saga starts to culminate, it looks back to “La Familia’s” latest adventure in Fast X, which means that some incidents from the past get recontextualized.
Originally supposed to be directed by F9 helmer, Justin Lin, director Louis Leterrier took over Fast X. The franchise has successfully transitioned from being a street racing-centered series to an action-adventure fare, and its 10th saga movie continues that. As Fast X officially kicks off the franchise’s final stretch, setting up what will ultimately be the end of The Fast Saga, certain elements from previous films are revisited, while some familiar faces make their long-awaited returns.
10 Fast X Retcons Gisele’s Death
The biggest The Fast Saga retcon in Fast X is certainly the return of Gal Gadot’s Giselle Yashar. Han Lue’s girlfriend and a trusted member of Dom’s crew, Gisele was originally a liaison for Braga in Fast & Furious. Like his love interest, she was believed to have died, but in the closing moments of Fast & Furious 6. Giselle makes her unexpected return in Fast X, however, as some kind of subordinate for Cipher.
9 Fast X Retcons Jason Momoa Into Fast Five’s Bridge Scene
While Fast X debuts Dante, he apparently has been part of the “La Familia’s” story for a decade now. The Leterrier-directed blockbuster reveals that he is the son of Fast Five‘s primary villain, Hernan Reyes, who died in the same film at the hands of Dom and his team. Fast X stages an elaborate flashback from the Brazillian bridge action scene, inserting Dante in the face-off.
8 Fast X Makes Cipher An Ally To Dom’s Team
After being in The Fate of the Furious, Cipher has been a recurring villain in The Fast Saga. However, Fast X throws a curveball with her character by making her an ally, albeit begrudgingly. Her decision to team up with Dom and “La Familia” is rooted in her predicament following Dante’s attack. Regardless of the reason, however, seeing her working with Letty, not to mention her mysterious ties to Giselle, could be an indication that she may eventually join Dom’s team properly by the end of The Fast Saga.
7 Fast X Humanizes Hernan Reyes Through Dante’s Flashbacks
Revisiting Fast 5 to establish Dante’s character means that Fast X also looks at Hernan Reyes with a fresh set of eyes. The villain is still depicted as a ruthless corrupt Portuguese-Brazilian politician, businessman, and drug lord is maintained, but seeing him interact with his son somehow humanizes him. Granted that Dante claims that he wasn’t a really great father, getting revenge for his dad’s death suggests that he loved him.
Despite his public comments about never returning to The Fast Saga, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reprises his role as Luke Hobbs in Fast X. Debuting in Fast Five as a U.S. Diplomatic Security Service agent hired to take down the “La Familia,” he ultimately joined forces with the law-breaking team. Johnson was eventually awarded his own spin-off, co-starring with Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw in Hobbs & Shaw. Diesel was open about hoping that Johnson would rejoin The Fast Saga, but when he was met with a definitive no, the public also gave up on the idea. So seeing Hobbs in the Fast X post-credits scene is quite shocking.
5 Fast X Officially Ends Han and Shaw’s Conflict
As a long-time ally of Dom, Han was seemingly killed in a car crash at the end of Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift, which is set after the events of Fast & Furious 6. Eventually, it was revealed in Furious 7 that Han’s fatal accident had been arranged by Deckard Shaw as part of his revenge against Dom’s crew for what happened to his brother Owen. Deckard’s redemption, however, kicked off calls for Justice For Han, with hopes that Universal would finally deliver on it. Fast X makes that impossible as it officially ends Han’s conflict with Shaw.
4 Fast X Retcons Elena’s Family To Give Her A Sister
Alongside Hobbs, Elena Neves was also introduced in Fast Five as his subordinate. She subsequently started a romance with Dom, who was convinced that Letty was gone at that time. Together, they had a child, Little B. Despite being long dead in The Fast Saga, Fast X expands on Elena’s character by giving her a sister in Daniela Melchior’s Isabel Neves.
3 Fast X Overhauls Jakob’s Character
F9 expanded the Toretto family by introducing Dom and Mia’s estranged brother, Jakob. Employed by Cipher, he went on a revenge mission against his own brother for a misunderstanding in their childhood. Ultimately, they were able to set aside their differences, although not much was shown about their relationship after their reconciliation. When Fast X brings back Jakob, however, he’s so far from the grumpy and angry character in F9. He’s charming, hilarious, and loving, especially toward Little B.
2 Fast X Introduces The Torettos’ Matriarch
The Fast Saga continues to delve into the Toretto family history with Fast X introducing the clan’s matriarch. Played by the legendary Rita Moreno, Abuelita Toretto only appears at the start of the film, during the franchise’s signature cook-outs in Los Angeles. Unlike Jakob, however, Fast X doesn’t reveal much about her past. There is also no mention of her after her brief but sweet cameo, making it curious if she’ll be back in The Fast Saga ever again.
1 Fast X Reveals That Mr. Nobody Has A Secret Daughter
When Brie Larson was cast in Fast X as Tess, there were theories that she could be Brian’s sister. Before the film even hit theaters, however, that claim was debunked, and it revealed that she is Mr. Nobody’s daughter. Considering her scenes with Aimes, it seems like she has been working for the Agency for a while now, but she has never been mentioned until she actually makes her Fast X debut.