'F9' Featurette Goes Back To When The Franchise Took Things A Quarter Mile At A Time

Remember the early days of the Fast and Furious franchise, back when all they did was race cars and live life a quarter mile at a time? We barely do too, but Universal is here to remind us of the good old days with a new F9 featurette, which takes us back to the beginning.

Compiling interview clips and behind-the-scenes footage from the early Fast and Furious movies, the newest F9 featurette shows us the stark difference between the beginning and the almost-end of the franchise. Remember the long hair of the early 2000s? The smaller stakes? The puka shell necklaces? There's something sweetly nostalgic about seeing footage from these earlier Fast and Furious movies, especially the cast members who have gone, like the since-passed Paul Walker.

But F9 introduces a new member of the family in the form of John Cena as Dom's estranged (and evil!) brother, Jakob, who is on a mission of revenge against Dom. This forces Dom and his wife, Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), out of retirement and back into life in the fast lane. F9 sees the return of many other favorite and not-so-favorite characters, with an ensemble that includes Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Helen Mirren, and Charlize Theron. And of course, there's justice to be served with Sung Kang's Han.

Here's the official synopsis for F9:

Vin Diesel's Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he's going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they've ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom's forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena, the upcoming The Suicide Squad).

F9 sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series when it transformed into a global blockbuster. The action hurtles around the globe—from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh, and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the teeming streets of Tbilisi. Along the way, old friends will be resurrected, old foes will return, history will be rewritten, and the true meaning of family will be tested like never before.

F9 opens in theaters on June 25, 2021.