Fast X Nearly Cast Keanu Reeves in Major Role

[Warning: This story contains spoilers for Fast X.] Whoa: Keanu Reeves was almost part of the Fast & Furious Family. The John Wick and Matrix star was in talks for a villainous role in 2019's Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw, the franchise's first spin-off teaming Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) and Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham). As it turns out, Reeves was up for another villain role in The Fast Saga's tenth installment: as The Agency's traitorous Agent Aimes (Alan Ritchson), who double-crosses Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) when it's revealed he's a secret double agent for the vengeful Dante Reyes (Jason Momoa).

"It was just a little stroke of luck and good timing," Ritchson told EW. "I was working on a movie with Hilary Swank up in Winnipeg in the freezing cold, and I got a call that things had shifted in the plans with Keanu Reeves, which is I think who was originally intended to play my part. Tough act to follow."

The Reacher star said there were "a lot of timing issues" that nearly caused producers to call up a third choice for the role of Aimes, who oversees the shadowy Agency in place of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). 

"Basically the deal was if there's no problems, we don't shut down for COVID or weather, this should work, and about two weeks later, we got news that we were going to get hit with the biggest blizzard in Winnipeg's history," Ritchson explained. "All production shut down. It was disheartening. I thought it was over before it began, but luckily we worked it out and they were able to push the dates a little more."

As fate would have it, the villains of Fast X are both Aquaman actors: Momoa plays the aquatic superhero in the DC Extended Universe, and the character was Ritchson's first major role on television's Superman prequel series Smallville. Their DC connection aside, Ritchson dropped another bombshell: Dante and Aimes were originally revealed to be brothers, both sons of Fast Five's Rio drug lord Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida).

"I don't know if this is divulging too much, but we shot a couple different stories. One was that Jason Momoa's character and Aimes were blood brothers," Ritchson told EW. "They were actually related, and one of the reasons why they were unified was because of their genetic link. There is a version in the editing room of that film, but at the end of the day it was decided that the other version which is what's in the film now – we learn at the end of the movie that really surprising twist that there was an alliance between them the whole time making him maybe the bad guy – that's what we're left with."

Ritchson continued: "I wasn't really sure which version of that was going to live, but I did know that there was a lot of duplicity in the character and that he was ultimately a bad guy, at least for now. We'll see what the future holds."

Starring Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Jason Statham, John Cena, Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron, and franchise newcomers Jason Momoa, Brie Larson, Alan Ritchson, Daniela Melchior, and Rita Moreno, Fast X is now playing in theaters.