10 Things That Must Happen In Fast & Furious 11 Before The Fast Saga Ends

The upcoming eleventh Fast & Furious movie has been planned as a grand finale to conclude the main series after over two decades of intense action set pieces, outrageous car chases, and increasingly over-the-top storylines. While it will be sad to say goodbye to Dominic Toretto, plenty of things must happen before the Fast & Furious saga comes to an end. With so much history and lore to reflect on, there’s no shortage of characters and ideas to return to as this series shifts into top gear and races toward the finish line.

The Fast & Furious franchise has many ongoing storylines that must be addressed before the series ends. Fast X left several lingering questions that need to be confronted in the final film, and that’s not to mention how many disparate concepts from previous films, spin-offs, and even television series could come into play as Fast 11 kicks into hyperdrive. While it will be impossible to find a conclusion that satisfies every audience member after so many years, several things must happen in Fast 11 before the saga ends.

10 Mr. Nobody Needs To Return

Fast 11 needs to reveal what happened to Mr. Nobody

The government agent Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) was one of the most mysterious and interesting characters in the entire Fast & Furious franchise. As an enigma who was quietly orchestrating instances behind the scenes even before he was first introduced in Furious 7, it’s essential that Mr. Nobody returns in Fast 11 and viewers get a satisfying end to his story. Although Brie Larson was introduced as Mr. Nobody’s daughter Tess in Fast X, her appearance did not make up for the sorely missed absence of Mr. Nobody in the tenth film.

Mr. Nobody was last heard from in Fast 9 through an SOS transmission that revealed his plane was attacked by rogue agents while he transferred the villainous Cipher. While viewers saw the wreckage, Mr. Nobody’s corpse was nowhere to be found, heavily implying he survived the attack and will return in some form in Fast 11. Just what Mr. Nobody has been up to in the meantime or how it will all play into the franchise’s conclusion remains to be seen, but no matter what, he must turn up again before the saga ends.

9 Justice For Han

Fast 11 needs to wrap up Han’s unfinished business

The character trajectory of Han Lue has been one of the strangest in the Fast & Furious franchise and highlighted that no matter what, a character always had the potential to return, even if they appeared to be definitively deceased. Han was introduced in Tokyo Drift, where he seemingly died in an explosion, but went on to appear in several subsequent films set before his death, before it was finally revealed Mr. Nobody faked Han’s death and was still alive in Fast 9. While exactly how this all worked was quite confusing, Han’s character still has a lot of unfinished business.

With Han, it’s essential that Fast 11 satisfyingly wraps up the disparate questions surrounding his character and finally makes amends for the wrongs of the past that the fan-led ‘Justice for Han’ campaign has strived for. Han’s death has previously been attributed to Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), and now that Shaw has started to gain acceptance into the Fast & Furious crew, he and Han will become allies without ever having properly hashed it out. This issue must be addressed for Han’s story arc to have a satisfying conclusion.

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8 Pay Homage To Paul Walker

Fast 11 needs to find a way to pay tribute to Brian O’Connor’s character and Walker’s legacy

One of the most upsetting real-life tragedies associated with the Fast & Furious franchise was the death of Paul Walker, who played the series’ original protagonist, Brian O’Connor. While Walker’s character was written out of the series in Furious 7, his legacy has loomed large over subsequent movies, and he was even implied to have attended the post-mission barbecue in F9. Since Fast 11 will be the final entry in the main Fast & Furious series, it’s important that the conclusion finds a way to pay homage to Walker without feeling exploitative or overly melodramatic.

There are many ways that Fast 11 could pay tribute to Walker, whether it’s through archival footage, references to his character, or even a brief CGI rendering, although to pull that off, it would need to be tastefully done. The brother-like relationship between Dominic Toretto and Brian was central to the Fast & Furious theme of a family, and the final installment should capture this aspect of their bond. Although Brian was given a happy ending within the franchise, Fast 11 must include an aspect that highlights his legacy before it all comes to an end.

7 Introduce The Final Foe

Fast 11 needs to introduce a villain that lives up the legacy of the entire franchise

One lesson that Fast 11 can learn from Fast Five was how vital having a compelling villain has always been to the franchise. Before the saga comes to an end, there’s still time to introduce one last foe for Dominic Toretto and his crew to face off against. While Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes was a fascinating addition to the franchise roster of villains in Fast X and will surely have a major role in the final entry, the franchise can push things even further with one last villain to shake things up as it races toward the finish line.

The most impactful antagonist introduced throughout the series has to be Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs in Fast Five, and although there were other popular villains like Jason Statham as Deckard Shaw in subsequent films, Fast 11 has a final opportunity to top them all. With more than two decades of filmmaking behind it, Fast & Furious can take all the lessons it has learned about introducing a captivating foe to make this the most memorable in the entire series. It won’t be easy to top the introduction of Hobbs, but Fast 11 should at least aim for that level of impact.

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6 The Stakes Must Be Higher Than Ever Before

Fast 11 needs to take things even further

The Fast & Furious franchise started as a car-based action series that was mostly based in the realm of reality. However, as the series progressed, particularly following Fast Five, the franchise became more bombastic, over-the-top, and downright absurd in its execution. While this has led to some criticism, it’s also part of why the series has lasted for so long as common sense and the laws of physics went out the window and Fast & Furious turned into something more reminiscent of a superhero series than anything set in the real world.

When a franchise has gone on as long as Fast & Furious has, it needs to continually up the stakes, and the Fast 11 should be no different. Instead of trying to ground the last installment in believability, it needs to embrace its wilder side and take things further than viewers have ever previously seen. If this was truly to be the last outing for Dominic Toretto and his crew, then it needs to go out with a bang and take things further than they’ve ever gone before.

5 Cipher Must Be Held Accountable

Fast 11 needs to address the damage Cipher has done

The notorious, powerful, and manipulative villain Cipher (Charlize Theron) may appear to be on the path toward redemption within the Fast & Furious franchise, but her cruel acts and murderous nature meant several crew members would never truly accept her. With a complex character history that saw her eventually join forces with Dominic Toretto against Dante Reyes in Fast X, Cipher was never truly held accountable for her sinister actions. Cipher murdered Elena in The Fate and the Furious, and this heinous act must be addressed in the final installment.

The road to Cipher’s redemption will not be easy, and there’s a possibility she could stay true to her evil nature and double-cross the crew in Fast 11. Whether it’s through redeeming herself or going full-scale villain once again, Cipher must be held accountable for her actions. Characters like Elena’s sister Isabel also have lingering resentments that should play into Cipher’s storyline in Fast 11.

4 Tony Toretto And His Crew

Fast 11 needs to tie the entire franchise together

There were many dimensions to the Fast & Furious franchise, such as the standalone sequel Tokyo Drift or spin-offs such as Hobbs and Shaw, but one aspect that has yet to be properly incorporated into the film series was the animated show Fast & Furious Spy Racers. This series focused on Dominic’s cousin, Tony Toretto, who was working with a government agency to take down a criminal organization. Before the Fast & Furious series finishes, this Fast 11 should include appearances from this spin-off television series.

Vin Diesel has already provided voice work as Dominic Toretto for Spy Racers, so Tony Toretto and his crew could show up in the final installment. As an animated series, a new actor would need to be cast as Tony, and his inclusion would act as a fantastic Easter egg for longtime lovers of the Netflix series. While this would not need to be a major part of Fast 11, it would be a nice way to tie the entire franchise together.

3 It All Comes Down To Family

Fast 11 needs to reiterate its main theme

If there were one recurring theme throughout the Fast & Furious franchise, it would be family, and this aspect must remain for the final movie. Fast 11 can be an opportunity to look back on everything that came before and highlight one last time how important family was to Domonic Torettoand the loyalty he has shown to those around him. As a love letter to friendship and family, both by birth and choice, this central tenet of Fast & Furious must be a significant part of the last outing.

The Fast & Furious family tree can be confusing and convoluted, as familial bonds were often symbolic within the series and represented community more than anything else. Still, the actual Torettos, O’Connors, and Shaws were significant real family units that played important roles throughout the movies. The last movie must be a final statement on its message about family and its importance to the entire crew as they grew together over so many films.

2 Pass Things On To A New Generation

Fast 11 needs to set up future spin-offs

Family has always been an important part of Fast & Furious, and one important aspect of family was passing things on to the next generation. Fast 11 may be the final entry in the main series, but that’s not to say it’s the end of Fast & Furious as a franchise, and the final movie must set up how things can be passed on to a new generation. With more Fast & Furious spin-offs in the works (via Variety), Fast 11 has to lay the groundwork for a new generation to take over beyond the story of Dominic Toretto.

With plans for a team-up film involving Luke Hobbs and Dante Reyes, a female-led spin-off, and an untitled spin-off all planned for the future, Fast 11 may be the final installment in this current version of Fast & Furious, but it’s far from the end. For these later movies to feel relevant, Fast 11 has to set them up naturally. While it’s important that Fast 11 feels like a definitive conclusion, it can also be the first hint toward a brand-new era for the franchise.

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1 Bring Things Back To Where It All Started

Fast 11 needs to pay homage to the original while maintaining the later movie’s appeal

Over the past two decades, the Fast & Furious franchise has changed significantly from its humble beginnings, and the final movie should find a way to take things back to where they all started. Of course, a more grounded approach may not work after the intense developments since Fast Five. But to finish things off, Fast & Furious needs to strike the right balance between paying homage to the original’s legacy and waving goodbye to the outrageous, over-the-top antics that have categorized the past several installments.

In an interview with Variety, NBCUniversal Studio Group Chairman and Chief Content Officer Donna Langley. Indicated a series return to the series roots for Fast 11. “Where we go next is a question. We may pivot another time and bring it back to the streets of L.A. and maybe make it a more intimate story,” Langley said. By returning to the original setting of the series, the final Fast & Furious could pay homage to the original, tell a slightly more grounded story, and maintain the excitement of the later films simultaneously.

Sources: Variety, Variety