Depending on how you feel about the multitude of plot developments to unfold over the course of Fast & Furious 9, you may well be satisfied with the #JusticeForHan that was served. The franchise’s most heavily retconned character was at it again, as his demise was revealed to be an elaborate ruse concocted by Kurt Russell’s Mr. Nobody that tied into Tokyo Drift, Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, Gal Gadot’s Gisele and the ninth installment’s Project Aries MacGuffn all in one fell swoop.
It’s a masterclass in how The Fast Saga continues to tie itself in knots to service both the fans and its own mythology, and it turns out that Sung Kang’s fan favorite has been alive and well this whole time, protecting Anna Sawai’s Elle from the nefarious forces out to get her, which of course includes John Cena’s Jakob Toretto and Charlize Theron’s Cipher, because everything obviously has to be connected somehow.
The mid-credits stinger teased a tense confrontation to come in the tenth movie between Han and Shaw, with the latter’s possession of a mysterious flash drive expected to set the plot in motion for the grand finale. However, it’s not as cut and dried as the two shaking hands and letting bygones be bygones, after Kang hinted that Han’s quest for vengeance isn’t quite over yet.
“It taught me and instilled in me that Fast is no longer hokey. I used to always think of it as a hokey action flick, but within that, there’s so much power to make a difference and truly impact people. So I was totally honored, and that’s when I started taking it super seriously. As Sung, it’s fairy-tale land right now. But within the story, if you just take away my personal feelings and involvement, yeah, it hasn’t been served. It hasn’t been served because someone that is dear to Han is not here anymore. So how is that resolved? And if I find the man responsible for it, what do I do to him? So we’ll see.”
If Fast & Furious 10 or 11 misses out on the opportunity to give the actor a character poster with “Justice Is a Dish Best Served Fast” as the tagline, then it’s going to be an absolute travesty. Han is back and more badass than ever, but he might not be quite as accepting of Shaw being part of the family as the rest of the crew.
