F9 director Justin Lin has indicated any character from the previous Fast & Furious movies could potentially return for the final films in The Fast Saga.
F9 will mark the beginning of the end for The Fast Saga, setting the stage for the last two entries in the main franchise (both of which Lin will also helm). In an interview with Deadline, Lin was asked if that means Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham could reprise their roles as, respectively, Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw in Fast & Furious 10 and 11 after starring in the 2019 spinoff, Hobb & Shaw. "I never really considered them gone, you know?" Lin replied. "To me, they’re still in this universe; they’re part of this family."
"Whatever we do, whenever we’re talking about the next chapter, I never feel like I have any restrictions," Lin continued, adding, "so I’m excited for what we build, and as we’re coming to this kind of final chapter of this saga, I think I’m excited to revisit... Any character, in any situation, is up for discussion."
Recently, series mainstay Vin Diesel hinted Johnson might appear in Fast & Furious 10 after passing on F9 in the wake of their much-publicized clash during production on 2017's The Fate of the Furious and subsequent reconciliation. He has also indicated Cody Walker will portray Brian O'Connor in F9, having posted a photo of him on the F9 set. After Paul Walker died before he could finish his scenes as Brian for 2015's Furious 7, his brothers Cody and Caleb served as stand-ins for him. They were then digitally altered during post-production to bear a stronger resemblance to Paul.
Other characters who could plausibly return for the final Fast Saga films include Gal Gadot as Gisele Yashar, the former Mossad agent who went on to became a trusted member of Dom's extended family following her debut in 2009's Fast & Furious. She later entered a romantic relationship with Han and seemingly sacrificed her life to save him during the climax to 2013's Fast & Furious 6. However, her demise wasn't actually shown on-screen, leading some viewers to speculate her death (like Han's) will eventually be retconned.
Directed by Justin Lin, F9 stars Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, John Cena, Nathalie Emmanuel, Jordana Brewster, Sung Kang, Helen Mirren, Kurt Russell and Charlize Theron. The film arrives in theaters June 25.
Source: Deadline