Of all the shocking moments in the first wave of Fast & Furious 9 marketing, none are more surprising than the return of Han Seoul-Oh, a fan-favorite character presumed dead since Fast & Furious 6's post-credits scene.
Director Justin Lin, who directed Han's initial three appearances in the franchise from Tokyo Drift through Fast & Furious 6, revealed Han is his favorite character. He said he returned to helm the ninth installment to bring a sense of justice to the character that had been perceived lost due to his apparent killer Deckard Shaw being welcomed into the Fast family.
"Han is a very special character for me... He’s been kind of a special character throughout. And when I left in [Fast & Furious 6], we kind of left together. One of the reasons for me to come back was to bring him back," explained Lin in an interview with MTV. "I was at a Q&A for a film and someone in the audience said they were confused about what happened. It really kind of got in my head and inspired me that, if we’re gonna continue, we should have justice for Han, for sure."
Portrayed by actor Sung Kang, Han had been a prominent member of Dom Toretto's crew before returning to Tokyo after the death of his love interest Gisele. Shaw had then evidently killed Han in revenge for his brother Owen's defeat by Dom in Fast & Furious 6. While Han is apparently alive and well in the upcoming sequel's first trailer, Lin is remaining tight-lipped on the nature of the character's return.
"It's all connected, let's put it that way," Lin teased. "Everything happens for a reason in the Fast Universe."
Directed by Justin Lin, Fast & Furious 9 stars Vin Diesel, John Cena, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sung Kang with Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron and Cardi B. The film arrives in theaters May 22.