F9's credits scene has heavy implications for the future of the Fast & Furious franchise, including Fast & Furious 10 and Hobbs & Shaw 2. While Justin Lin's latest film serves as the ninth installment in The Fast Saga, there is ten total when counting the Hobbs & Shaw spinoff. The primary saga centered on Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his loyal crew is set to end after two more entries, but more spinoff films are in the works, including the confirmed Hobbs and Shaw sequel. Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, in particular, could be a key character moving forward.
Deckard made his first appearance in the Fast & Furious 6's credits scene, emerging as the most-hated character almost instantly. His introductory scene revealed the truth regarding Han Lue's (Sung Kang) Tokyo Drift death, which was retconned to take place in Furious 7. While fleeing through the streets of Tokyo, Han's Mazda was T-boned intentionally by Deckard's Mercedes. The man targeted Han as payback for Dom and his crew, putting Deckard's brother, Owen Shaw (Luke Evans), in a coma.
Despite being the primary antagonist in Furious 7, The Fast Saga effectively gave Deckard a chance at redemption in The Fate of the Furious when he assisted Dom for a special mission. The redemptive arc continued in Hobbs & Shaw as Deckard continued to shed his villainous ways. Still, there was backlash surrounding the character's arc considering justice for Han was never served, nor did Deckard ever directly apologize for his actions. That said, as revealed in F9, Han faked his death during the car crash with the help of Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). With his survival now known, Han has some matters to take care of involving his past with Deckard.
Neither Luke Hobbs (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson) nor Deckard Shaw appears in F9's primary plot. However, the latter appears in a special credits scene, hinting at what's to come in future Fast & Furious franchise installments. Han lived his life in secret, protecting a young woman named Elle (Anna Sawai) after joining Mr. Nobody's covert-ops team. Upon reuniting with Dom and his old crew, Han's survival is unearthed, but not everyone learns the news right away. Following the team's success in stopping Otto's (Thue Ersted Rasmussen) plan to upload the Project Ares program into a satellite, Han shows up to the group's old Los Angeles stomping grounds for a barbecue. It's there that Han reunites with fellow Tokyo Drift characters, Sean Boswell (Lucas Black), Twinkie (Bow Wow), and Earl Hu (Jason Tobin), but that's not the final scene for Kang's beloved character.
In the F9 credits scene, a hooded figure is seen using a punching bag in a secluded gym. The figure ends up being Deckard, and he's not hitting a traditional punching bag, but instead, a man stuffed inside a makeshift punching bag. It's unclear who the victim is, but Deckard mentions acquiring a flash drive connected to the mysterious figure. During chatting with punching bag man, Deckard hears a knock on the door. When he opens the door, Han is standing there with a serious look on his face. Statham's character, on the other hand, looks shocked to find the man he presumably killed standing in front of him.
With the short F9 sequence, it's difficult to predict what's going on in Han's mind when he confronts Deckard. According to Kang, Han has a revenge plan, but the actor isn't entirely sure how the character will carry it out, considering Han's more of a lover than a fighter. Granted, Deckard purposely set out to kill Han, and until the credits scene, the eldest Shaw brother believes he succeeded in the mission. However, it will be difficult for Deckard to talk his way out of his past actions despite being on good terms with some of Han's closest friends.
There's also a chance Han will turn his focus to Owen, the man responsible for Gisele Yashar's (Gal Gadot) death. Han, who was in a romantic relationship with Gisele, felt directionless following her death, leading him to join Mr. Nobody's team. Han clearly harbors resentment towards Deckard for the attempted murder, but the trouble started with Gisele's tragic death. As payback for all of the pain, Han could go to the source and avenge Gisele's death by going after Owen. The move would certainly hurt Deckard as well, but it also further complicates the character dynamic in the Fast & Furious franchise.
Han was alive and well during the events of Furious 7 and The Fate of the Furious despite remaining in the shadows. Whether or not Mr. Nobody kept Han in the loop regarding the missions of his old friends remains unclear. Based on Han's heartfelt reunion with characters like Dom, Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez), Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson), and Tej Parker (Ludacris) in F9, it seems he isn't aware of his friends' previous partnership with both Shaw brothers in their battle against Cipher (Charlize Theron). Learning his allies teamed up with the man who killed Gisele and the brother that caused his "death" would probably not go over well, which could come into play in Fast & Furious 10.
The Fast Saga will conclude with a two-part finale beginning with Fast & Furious 10. All major cast members are expected to return, including Han, now that he's back in action. With his return, Han will surely unveil more about what he was up to following the faked death, while Dom and the others will be forced to share information regarding their recent missions. The reveals could affect Han's trust in Dom or at least cause some tension among the men. While it's understandable the lengths Dom went to in order to protect his son, he still partnered with men who presumably killed two of his own.
Whereas the F9 credits scene could have heavy implications for Fast & Furious 10, the actual revenge plot may carry out in Hobbs & Shaw 2. Since it's unknown if Statham has any more appearances planned in The Fast Saga before the core story closes out, he will certainly reprise his role for the Hobbs & Shaw sequel. If the tension between Han and his friends could occur in Fast & Furious 10, the actual confrontation would be fitting for the upcoming Shaw-centric story.
If violence isn't the answer for Han, Deckard will need to go to great lengths to fulfill his redemption. Still, viewers are still demanding true justice for Kang's character even, so the franchise might need to make difficult decisions to fulfill that promise. Han might be motivated by revenge, but maybe the plot of Hobbs & Shaw 2 could prove to the character that Deckard is haunted by events of his past, including the car wreck in Tokyo. Deckard retaliated because of his brother's condition, after all, and Han knows very well how far he would go to protect or avenge a loved one. If F9 proves anything, it's that Han still has a crucial role in the franchise's future.
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June 26, 2021 at 12:13AM
