Fast X Stars Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez Say SPOILERS Returns Were in the Works for a While

The characters in The Fast and the Furious franchise often have to improvise plans and make unexpected changes to tackle any subject, and the minds behind the scenes of the storyline also have to be flexible with their plans, including the major returns of beloved characters. While Fast X featured the long-awaited return of some characters who departed the saga earlier, stars of the film Michelle Rodriguez and Vin Diesel confirmed that the series attempted to bring these figures back in previous films, but it was too difficult to find the right narrative significance to accomplish the feat. Fast X is in theaters now.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Fast X

The Fast X post-credits scenes brought back Luke Hobbs, as played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who was last seen in 2017’s The Fate of the Furious. Also returning to the franchise is Gal Gadot’s Giselle Yashar, who was last seen in 2013’s Fast & Furious 6, where she seemingly died.

Speaking to Variety, Rodriguez revealed that Gadot had shot cameos for previous films, though they weren’t included in their final cuts. 

One big difference between Fast X and other entries in the series is that, while other stories largely wrap up their narrative, this latest entry ends with unresolved threads, serving as a cliffhanger. Diesel pointed out the challenge of wrapping up a story, while also using post-credits scenes to hint at the future, and how that dictates cameos.

“We have shot other things a long time ago that might not have fit that specific movie as a finale,” Diesel expressed. “Doing tags is a very tricky thing because you want your great talent but at the same time you have to be very careful to maintain the emotional state of your audience at the end of the movie. So that’s what you’re juggling.”

How these cameos will impact the future of the franchise is yet to be seen, but they have audiences excited regardless. Johnson had a public falling out with Diesel and claimed he wouldn’t be returning to the series, with his return surprising audiences that they must have settled their differences. While the franchise has proven before that “death” wasn’t always permanent, with no significant reports about Gadot making a return to the narrative, her appearance caught viewers off guard.

Fast X is in theaters now. Stay tuned for updates on the future of the franchise.

What did you think of the cameos? Let us know in the comments!