Fast X Director Confirms That Yes, That Really Was [REDACTED] In That Final Scene
This article contains spoilers for "Fast X."
Louis Leterrier's new film, "Fast X," is wonderfully enjoyable hooey stuffed with explosions, chases, and acts of vehicular manslaughter that defy the laws of physics. It also boasts one of the largest celebrity casts in the "Fast and Furious" series, assembling most all of the familiar faces from previous chapters, as well as a few Oscar winners to boot; the film stars Rita Moreno, Charlize Theron, Brie Larson, and Helen Mirren. All told, there are at least 17 main characters. Also, in addition to Vin Diesel and his crew, the filmmakers also included several notable cameos from "Furious" actors who haven't been seen in a few films.
For Dom (Diesel), "Fast X" ends on a nail-biting cliffhanger as an evil villain named Dante (Jason Momoa) has trapped him right next to a dam that he intends to blow up. A plane just crashed, implying that many of his associates may be dead. Meanwhile, his wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), and Dom's sworn enemy Cipher (Theron) are stranded in Antarctica after having been kidnapped by a shadowy government cabal of some kind. Things are looking pretty desperate.
But just when Letty and Cipher seem stranded, a massive nuclear submarine bursts up out of the ice. What?? Then a hatch in the top of the submarine swings open and who should emerge from inside but Gisele (Gal Gadot), a character who was presumably killed in "Fast & Furious 6," but who survived somehow.
Leterrier recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about Gadot's cameo and wanted to assure audiences that it was indeed Gisele and not a lookalike or twin. He was also careful to explain that Gadot was indeed on set for her performance.
Gisele!
That last comment was a dig at the film "Shazam! Fury of the Gods," which also featured a cameo from Gal Gadot, playing the role of Wonder Woman. While she was filmed in costume, it seems that the "Shazam!" director was not on set for her scene. Leterrier wanted it known that he was in the same room as Gadot and that they were able to directly interact. Indeed, it was a fun reunion for the pair, as they had previously worked on a 2017 commercial for Wix. Leterrier confirmed:
"I was on the set with her. I was lucky enough to see Gal Gadot and give her a big hug and a thank you at the end of the shoot. That was a highlight for me. I was lucky enough to direct one commercial with her, and I saw the power of Gal Gadot for 30 seconds. So, now that I get to not only work with her but also bring back Gisele into the franchise, I'm the happiest fan in the world."
Leterrier has also signed on to direct the next film in the "Furious" series as well, so he'll have more opportunity to do just that. Also, because Leterrier referred to Gadot's character by name, it seems that this is not a fakeout or a twist. It's the real Gisele.
The last time we saw Gisele, she was dangling off the back of a plane, attempting to aid her lover, Han (Sung Kang). In order to shoot Han's attacker, she had to let go of the plane and plummet to her death. As all "Furious" fans have come to realize, though, if there's no body, then there's no death.
It seems Gisele simply landed safely and stayed in hiding for the interim three movies.
So what now?
Gisele, it seems, may offer "Fast X" its only conclusion. As mentioned, it seemed that Dom Toretto is royally screwed at the end of the movie, stranded without a vehicle next to a damn that's about to be blown up. His team is dead. Who will possibly rescue him? It seems that if a man is about to be in a rushing tidal wave, someone with a submarine is in the unique position of being able to help. One might easily see a chronological twist wherein Gisele, Letty, and Cipher actually met a day before the events of the "Fast X" climax, and arrived in Portugal just in time to save Dom and his son from certain death.
Also, the audience saw a plane crash, but it was after it had flown around a ridge and disappeared. If Gisele has missiles on that submarine — likely — she could have blown one up on the mountainside to hide the fact that the plane in question pulled up to safety. There's every reason to believe that Gisele will be the deux ex machina that the "Fast X" cliffhanger needs.
Also, one of the minor plot points of "Fast X" is that Han has moved on and is operating dating apps to find a new paramour. Bringing Gisele back would allow the characters to confront, and perhaps even rekindle, their romance. While Gisele has been absent for some of the bigger films in the franchise, it seems her absence was felt. Also, who wouldn't be excited by the idea of Gadot, Rodriguez, and Theron in command of a military submarine?