If ‘Fast & Furious’ isn’t a superhero franchise, then why is ‘Fast X’ a beat-for-beat remake of ‘Avengers: Infinity War’?

The longer the Fast & Furious franchise has gone on, the looser its grip on reality has become, to the point where the entire series is now defined not by its first decade of existence, but everything that happened from the fifth installment on.

It’s ludicrous to think that a mid-budget street racing thriller that was essentially Point Break in disguise has become one of the most lucrative IPs in the history of Hollywood, never mind one that’s going to span for at least a dozen films. However, if there’s one thing Fast X has made abundantly clear that can no longer be denied, it’s that The Fast Saga is now a superhero sandbox.

Dominic Toretto and the gang’s death-defying feats have comfortably put them on a par with the Avengers and Justice League, and if you find that a little too far-fetched, then why is the latest entry basically a remake of Avengers: Infinity War? It’s the opening chapter of a two-part (possibly even three) finale that ties off decades’ worth of storytelling, plunging a ragtag group of heroes against a formidable villain who’s technically been embedded in the mythos for a many years thanks to several crafty retcons.

In this instance, the Infinity Stones are the various technological MacGuffins Jason Momoa’s Dante Reyes is gathering to execute whatever his convoluted plan may be, while Dom is taking a leaf out of the playbook put down by Earth’s Mightiest Heroes by roping in all of the biggest names from Fasts past to assemble the ultimate team ahead of the climactic showdown.

There’s even been a death or two along the way, a surprising resurrection, a cliffhanger ending, and ominous intonations that the end is nigh. To cap things off, those cameos that generated so much buzz – coupled with Jason Statham’s brief appearance and vanishing act – ensures that the second half of Fast X is even going to get its own “Portals” moment.