With each passing installment since the franchise first reinvented itself as the far-fetched blockbuster saga everyone knows and loves today, Fast & Furious had made a concerted effort to recruit at least one notable action hero each and every time out.
The list continues to grow, with such luminaries as Dwayne Johnson, John Cena, Idris Elba, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, Jason Momoa, Tony Jaa, Joe Taslim, and countless others having popped up across the various sequels, but Keanu Reeves seems to be the one who keeps getting away.
Johnson admitted he had his eyes on The Matrix and John Wick legend to cameo as the figurehead behind the shady Eteon corporation in Hobbs & Shaw, before Alan Ritchson – himself no slouch in the ass-kicking department – revealed that the role of Aimes in Fast X was originally written with Reeves in mind.
Having gone zero-for-two so far, maybe Vin Diesel and the rest of the brain trust behind The Fast Saga should get the memo and accept that the most wholesome man on the face of the planet simply isn’t interested. Then again, maybe it really did come down to scheduling conflicts twice over, and with the Constantine sequel remaining lodged in development hell, adding Reeves would only strengthen the brand’s newfound status as a retirement home for DC cast-offs.
Of course, Fast 11 and potentially even Fast 12 will have spots on the roster that needs filling, so perhaps third time will mark the charm after all.