Fast X: Ludacris Teases Fans Will Be “Very Surprised” by Franchise Finale

History is about to be made for the Fast & Furious franchise, with the penultimate installment of the main film series, Fast X, poised to debut next year. As those who have been following the series of action movies know, the stakes have continued to be raised at practically every turn — and it sounds like that will only continue in Fast X. In a recent interview with Entertainment Tonight, franchise star Chris “Ludacris” Bridges indicated that fans will be “very surprised” by what the upcoming film has in store.

“Every single movie I am thinking… ‘How can we [top this]? How can you top space?’ Like, come on, man,” Ludacris explained. “There’s some twists. There’s more turns. There’s even more characters being introduced that are going to blow your mind… There’s a lot of takeaways from the next one. It comes out next year.”

“The Fast family is truly like a real family offscreen,” Ludacris said of working on the films. “We are the luckiest cast in the entire world. Trust me, most movies when they yell cut, everybody goes their separate ways. Our kids know each other. They’re like best friends… Our kids love it so much ’cause they’re like, ‘Oh, that’s Uncle Vin. Oh, that’s Uncle Tyrese.’ They really call them uncle… it’s the best thing in the world.”

Fast X will also see the return of Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel, Sung Kang, Michael Rooker, Scott Eastwood, and Charlize Theron. New cast members also include Jason Momoa, Rita Moreno, Alan Ritchson, Daniela Melchior, and Brie Larson. The film will be directed by Louis Leterrier, following the departure of Justin Lin earlier this spring.

“With the support of Universal, I have made the difficult decision to step back as director of FAST X, while remaining with the project as a producer,” Lin wrote in a statement announcing his exit. “Over 10 years and five films, we have been able to shoot the best actors, the best stunts, and the best damn car chases. On a personal note, as the child of Asian immigrants, I am proud of helping to build the most diverse franchise in movie history. I will forever be grateful to the amazing cast, crew and studio for their support, and for welcoming me into the FAST family.”

Fast X is lined up to be released next year, after previously having been delayed by a month. The cast and crew of the film have indicated that it will be worth the wait.

“It is back-to-back,” Diesel previously told ComicBook.com. “The target release date is 02/23 for the first one and 02/24 for the second one. We were supposed to release this movie last year, prior to the pandemic. So I guess what’s different about this release is that we’re a year into development and pre-production on Fast 10. And so I’m doing these interviews and it’s bizarre because I have to go back to Fast 9. I’m celebrating the release of Fast 9, but I have so much more to celebrate.”

Are you excited to see Fast X? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Fast X is poised to drop in theaters on May 19, 2023.