Every Character And Subplot Apparently Returning In Fast X

"Fast X" will bring the Toretto gang back together for yet another wild ride: Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Ludacris, Tyrese Gibson and Nathalie Emmanuel will reunite with Vin Diesel as their respective characters. Brie Larson, Daniela Melchior and Alan Ritchson are also tapping in as new additions. But there are quite a few returning players involved in the production as well, faces that "Fast" fans will likely recognize. 

We've already learned that the film's Big Bad, Dante (Jason Momoa) is actually the son of "Fast Five" villain Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), and it seems that events and characters from other "Fast" films are fair game as well. According to director Louis Leterrier, "Fast X" represents a culmination of the saga. Everything from every "Fast" movie is pretty much on the table, so let's break down all the threads that will continue in the upcoming film.

It's important to note that the "Fast" films, above all, are about family. Ever since the franchise started drifting into the absurd with "Fast & Furious 6," the conflicts in each installment have hinged on the return of an estranged, villainous brother or benevolent baby mama. The penultimate "Fast" adventure introduced Toretto's own brother Jakob (John Cena) to the fray, and their reconciliation was the major focus of "F9." Jakob will also be a big player in "Fast X" — not as an antagonist, but as a member of team Toretto ... maybe. Jakob and Dom don't share any scenes in the new "Fast X" trailer, and though the younger Toretto is kicking all kinds of ass in the new film, it's not clear if he's working as a free agent or actually fighting by his brother's side again. He is rocking with some heavy gear and artillery, which suggests he's found another financier after his falling-out with the villain of "F9." And given how small the world of the "Fast" saga is, there are only so many people that fit the bill.

Kurt Russell's Mr. Nobody has been a sporadic presence in the "Fast" saga for a few films now, as a wild card that's gotten our characters out of all manner of mess. While he's not returning to the fray in "Fast X," his one-time protégé, Little Nobody (Scott Eastwood) will be filling in this time around. Little Nobody was introduced in "The Fate of the Furious" as an obvious stand-in for the dearly departed Paul Walker. Not unlike Walker's Brian O'Conner, Little Nobody is a tightly-wound government agent with All-American appeal and a soft spot for bright blue Japanese imports. Not exactly a subtle move, but hey, at least an attempt was made.

The "Fast" saga folks must have realized that there's just no replacing Paul or Brian in the grand scheme, because "Fate" was Little Nobody's first and only adventure with the Toretto gang. "Fast X" will mark Eastwood's return to the franchise — and though he doesn't show his face in the new trailer for "Fast X," he may or may not be lurking in the background of a few key scenes (seen above). If I were a betting girl, I'd say The Nobodies have enlisted Jakob for their underground spy operation. Given his skills as a thief and driver — and, y'know, the fact that he's been off the grid for decades — he'd be the perfect candidate for recruitment. How all that will fit into "Fast X" is still anybody's guess, but let's hope that the tenth film will find a better use for Eastwood.

Have I mentioned the importance of family in the "Fast" franchise? It's like, really important, but it's not only about the Toretto clan in "Fast X." Shaw family matriarch Magdalene "Queenie" Shaw (Helen Mirren) will be swinging by to impart some more wisdom on Dom — and is it just me, or are their encounters growing increasingly romantic? The last time they linked up, Dom kind of assisted in some high-end jewelry theft, and also rode shotgun as Queenie led a few cops on a merry chase through the streets of London. Now they've got a rendezvous in Rome — and during a particularly striking sunset.

Jokes aside, it seems Dom has found a real kindred spirit in Queenie. She understands the struggle of trying to hold a family together, and of trying to protect a child — something that Dom will have to face when Dante kidnaps his son, Little Brian. Queenie's lent Dom a hand on more than one occasion, and she'll probably be another big help in "Fast X," at the very least for her ability to guilt her son into atoning for his own sins.

Queenie isn't the only Shaw returning for some action in "Fast X." Her eldest, Deckard (Jason Statham) obviously can't stay out of the fray any more than she can. At this point, he's pretty much an honorary Toretto — if it weren't for the bad blood between him and Han Lue (Sung Kang).

A couple of films ago in "Fast & Furious 6," Shaw apparently killed Han in Tokyo. Fortunately, Han was also in Mr. Nobody's good books, so he managed to survive to race another day. He's still got something of a grudge against Shaw for even trying to kill him in the first place, though (I mean, who wouldn't?). After returning to help Dom out in "F9," Han pays Shaw an impromptu visit in a post-credits scene — and "Fast X" might just pick up exactly where they left off.

In the new trailer for "Fast X," Shaw is seen fighting a few faceless henchmen in the same loft that Han finds him in at the end of "F9." Shaw is also wearing the same heather grey hoodie — but hey, maybe he just likes that hoodie. If it is the same scene, these armored goons might just work for Dante, seeing how determined he is to destroy Dom's family in any way he can. Shaw and Han might just have to squash the beef and fight together against their common enemy — but that doesn't mean things will immediately be sympatico between them. Their long-standing grudge could make for an excellent side plot in the new film, especially since Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbes definitely won't be returning to the "Fast" films any time soon. That leaves Shaw without anyone to really trade barbs with, but something tells me he's met his match with Han.

Speaking of odd couples. "Fast X" is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to funky match-ups. Charlize Theron's Cipher is, of course, back as a secondary antagonist. She's probably the one pulling Dante's strings, just as she did with Dom in "The Fate of the Furious." But "Fast X" will apparently pit her against Letty too, as the saga veers further into science fiction.

I don't even want to suggest that Cipher and Letty have somehow swapped bodies in this new adventure, but you can't put anything past the "Fast" saga at this point. Whatever's going on in the mysterious medical lab that she and Letty find themselves in, it's just the beginning of this new take on the character.

"You're going to see Cipher in a way you've never seen her before," Leterrier recently told Entertainment Weekly. "Cipher is the devil, so when Cipher gets scared, it's interesting. Cipher, who thought she was the devil, will really see the devil in this movie, and that will scare her and rattle her to the core."

"Fast X" hits theaters on May 19, 2023.