After continuing beyond the perfect ending point ten years ago, theFast & Furiousseries will now undoubtedly struggle to end the franchise in a satisfying way. TheFast & Furiousfranchise began as a series about street racing, but quickly evolved into one of the biggest action franchises in Hollywood. Over the years, thestunts inFast & Furiousmovies have gotten more ridiculous and over-the-top. While these stunts have led to several entertaining films, theFast & Furiousmoviesare definitely not as highly regarded as they once were.
However, since theupcomingFast 11is reportedly the lastFast & Furiousmovie, it has promised to return to the franchise’s roots. Even thoughFast 11may be more focused on street racing and include less unrealistic stunts, it will still be difficult for the film to provide a satisfying conclusion to the franchise. In fact, all hopes for a satisfying conclusion were abandoned when Vin Diesel decided to continue the franchise beyond 2015’sFurious 7.Furious 7would have been the perfect ending for the franchise, and the movies that have come out since haven’t felt the same.
Furious 7’s Ending Was The Right Opportunity For Fast & Furious To End
Furious 7 Has By Far The Best Ending Of The Series
Production onFurious 7became incredibly difficult after the sudden death of franchise star Paul Walker. Alongside Diesel, Walker was the lead of theFast & Furiousfranchise. The relationship between Diesel and Walker’s characters, Dom and Brian, was by far the best part of theFast & Furiousmovies. Even though Walker passed away in real life,Furious 7does not kill off Brian O’Connor. Instead, Brian decides to retire so that he can spend time with his family.
Therefore,the ending ofFurious 7is focused on the relationship between Dom and Brian. After showing a montage of Walker throughout theFast & Furiousfranchise, Dom goes for a sunset drive alone. However, Brian, his best friend, quickly catches up with him, allowing the two of them to go for a drive together. Eventually, the road splits in two and Dom and Brian go their separate ways. This was a perfect farewell for Brian, but also would have been a great place to end the franchise.
Why Fast & Furious Continued After Furious 7 Without Paul Walker’s Brian
Vin Diesel Decided To Continue The Franchise After Furious 7
After Walker’s death, some believedFurious 7would be the last film in theFast & Furiousfranchise. Even Chris Morgan, who wrote several movies in the series, thought going out on a high and leaving the franchise alone might be the best course of action. However, the decision on whether tocontinue the franchise afterFurious 7ultimately came down to Diesel. SinceWalker had already confirmed the eighthFast & Furiousfilm before his death, Diesel believed he had an obligation to make it happen. In 2015, Diesel toldMTV:
In some ways, when your brother guarantees something, you feel like you have to make it come to pass.Seven is for Paul. Eight is from Paul.
Therefore,for Diesel, makingThe Fate of the Furiouswas a way of honoring Walker after his passing. In addition, it must be noted thatFurious 7was the first film in the franchise to make over $1 billion.Furious 7made over $1.5 billion at the worldwide box office, thenThe Fate of the Furiousmade over $1.2 billion (viaThe Numbers). Therefore, it also made financial sense to continue the franchise afterFurious 7.
Fast & Furious Just Hasn’t Been The Same Without Brian O’Connor
Brian Was Perhaps The Best Fast & Furious Character
While Diesel’s Dominic Toretto was already a main character beforeFurious 7, recent films in the franchise have focused on him even more. TheFast & Furiousfilms afterFurious 7have continued to follow the crew that has continued to grow throughout the course of the series. While there are many great characters in theFast & Furiousfranchise,the recent movies in the series haven’t felt the same without Brian O’Connor. The last fewFast & Furiousmovies have proved that Brian truly was the heart of the group.
Fast & Furious 11 Ending The Franchise Means It Can’t Ignore Brian O’Connor Any Longer
Fast & Furious is ending with Fast X: Part 2, meaning the Fast Saga will have to find a sensible way of adding Brian O’Conner into the story.
While it is still somewhat interesting to see what characters like Dom, Letty, Roman, and Tej are up to, theFast & Furiousmovies are more known for their stunts and action sequences now. This is why it’s a good thing thatFast 11will reportedly be the last film in the franchise. Without Brian, the franchise is running out of intriguing stories to tell. Therefore, while it likely won’t be as good asFurious 7’sending, hopefully the next film in the series can provide a somewhat satisfying ending to theFast & Furiousfranchise.
