F9: Fast & Furious Director Justin Lin Thought Han Was "Gone For Good"

Fast & Furious director Justin Lin thought Han was "gone for good" before F9 got on the road. The filmmaker talked to Digital Spy about Justice For Han and that surprise return during the big trailer. A lot of the franchise's fans were sad when the movie got delayed due to the global pandemic. But, when a clip finally materialized, it was all smiles from most of the fanbase as Sung Kang returned to play ultracool snack enthusiast Han. Tokyo Drift is a bit of a weird moment in the franchise and the loss of that character makes it an even stranger watch in retrospect. However, the Fast Saga is trying to make good with one of the most beloved elements of their ensemble cast. (Funny enough, F9 presents a big victory lap moment for a bunch of the Tokyo Drift fans as Lucas Black makes a return too.) Check out what the director had to say about all of this down below.

"The whole movement, #JusticeForHan, I give the fans all the credit. When I found out why it existed, I was equally baffled and maybe a little upset. I felt it needed to be corrected," Lin explained. "It's not an easy thing. I don't wake up every day wanting to bring back dead characters [but] I felt like this one was important. We did go through many iterations and ultimately, I felt like it deserved its own film in a way and the reason for why he wasn't part of this family for that duration. It was an approach that I felt like hopefully I can share with the audience in this film, but only in spots and hopefully in further instalments and hopefully if the universe is lucky enough to expand, we're gonna be able to dig into that much more."

"This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, this whole Fast & Furious journey," Kang previously said. "How do you get killed off multiple times and keep coming back? Like, come on. This is crazy. The whole #JusticeForHan thing – it made me think, 'Wow, there are actually people that appreciate the work I did as an actor'. In my own Hollywood struggle as an Asian-American, in your darkest hours, you go, 'Wow, there are actually people from all over the world that appreciate what I did with that character.'"

Vin Diesel is basically thrilled to have Kang back in the fold. The star previously spoke with EW about bringing Han back.

"Han is an integral character in this franchise," the franchise star told the publication. "If you remember, he's kind of responsible for the away years of Dom Toretto. He's the one doing jobs with him in Mexico, he's the only one who knows where Dom is, and in many ways is the bridge for Dom when Dom comes back in Tokyo Drift. So there's something very special and magical about the Han character. When you see the movie you'll feel it, but I believe at the core it's another testament to, not only don't turn your back on family, but don't give up on family. Without giving away the plot, that's the theme: don't give up on family."

Do you think Han will get a spinoff? Let us know down in the comments!