Fast & Furious 9: Fast Saga Fans Are Furious Over Year-Long Delay on Original Opening Date

Fast & Furious 9, the latest chapter in the blockbuster Fast Saga, was scheduled to race into theaters May 22 before Universal Pictures delayed the speedy sequel until April 2, 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Facing worldwide theater closures amid the coronavirus crisis, Universal in mid-March said in a statement it "become clear that it won't be possible for all of our fans around the world to see the film this May," leading to the "especially tough" decision to delay F9 until spring 2021. The move was made "with the safety of everyone as our foremost consideration," Universal said, adding the delay "will allow our global family to experience our new chapter together."

In F9, Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) has slowed down to lead a quiet life off the grid with ride-or-die Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and his son, little Brian, but is forced to confront the sins of his past with the return of Jakob Toretto (John Cena) — a skilled master thief, assassin, high-performance driver and Dom's forsaken brother.

Facing another plot put into motion by cyberterrorist Cipher (Charlize Theron), Toretto reassembles his crew — his sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster), Roman (Tyrese Gibson), Tej (Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), and Han (Sung Kang), somehow back from the dead — to save those he loves most in the sequel directed by series veteran Justin Lin (Fast & Furious, Fast Five).

For franchise newcomer Cena, the bigger-than-ever action and stunts are "genuinely something that puts the Fast franchise above everything else," the wrestler-turned-actor previously told MTV International. "They find a way to make the impossible possible, and they do it every single movie, and they raise the bar every single movie."

Here's what Fast fans are saying on the day the new movie would have opened in theaters: