Fast X sees several new and high-profile stars join the action-packed franchise as they battle it out with the Toretto family. The Vin Diesel-starrer is touted as the penultimate installment in the Fast & Furious series wrapping up the story of Dominic “Dom” Toretto and his crew that began all the way back in 2001’s The Fast and the Furious. While frequent franchise collaborator Justin Lin shares writing credits, Fast X is directed by The Incredible Hulk and Now You See Me’s Louis Leterrier.
Like many Fast & Furious films, Fast X features old and new entrants to the franchise with many of them being direct relatives of Dom’s. This includes his son Brian and even his grandmother Abuelita. True to the franchise’s usual tropes, many past villains also return but as allies to Dom and his friends. Dom’s brother Jakob and former black ops operative Deckard Shaw are a few cases in point. New additions also include the antagonist Dante Reyes who finally breaks the Fast & Furious villain trend as his ruthlessness doesn’t offer any redemption arc. Apart from Dante, Tess is another new character that raised eyebrows right from the trailers.
Vin Diesel As Dominic “Dom” Toretto
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and Vin Diesel’s feud hurt the Fast & Furious franchise in several ways so it’s no surprise that Johnson didn’t return to the Fast X cast as Luke Hobbs. As for Diesel, the actor retained his position as the franchise’s main hero. The stakes are high for the former street racer Dominic Toretto as Fast X finds him at loggerheads with an old foe’s son who is out for revenge. From racing on the road to taking down enemy helicopters, Dom does whatever he can to protect his family from his newfound adversary. Dom’s commitment to his crew continues in Fast X.
The Fast X cast is led by Vin Diesel as Dom, an actor who is synonymous with the Fast & Furious franchise. The actor has also been involved in several other successful franchises, such as the Riddick trilogy in which he plays the titular character and the Guardians of the Galaxy series in where he voices the beloved tree monster Groot. Challenging himself in more dramatic non-action roles, Diesel has also dabbled in serious roles such as real-life New Jersey mobster Jackie DiNorscio in Sidney Lumet’s legal thriller Find Me Guilty, Private Caparzo in the World War II drama Saving Private Ryan and the titular robot in The Iron Giant.
Jason Momoa As Dante Reyes
Jason Momoa’s Fast X villain connects to Fast Five as his character is the son of the late drug lord Hernan Reyes. While Fast Five ended with Reyes’ death, his son Dante Reyes is back with a vengeance. From challenging to outrace him in the streets to targeting specific members of his family, Dante comes off as a ruthless villain who is beyond redemption. For his performance, Momoa retains his iconic long-haired look complete with some flashy fashion choices such as snake-print leather jackets. In a Variety interview, Momoa called him a “sadistic” character who clearly has “some daddy issues”.
Joining the Fast X cast, Momoa performed his own stunts and driving scenes. In an interview with Total Film (via GamesRadar), Momoa revealed that he got interested in the project as it provided him the prospects of playing against the type. Breaking out as the Dothraki leader Khal Drogo in Game of Thrones, Momoa also played the marine superhero and Atlantean king Aquaman in the DCU and Conan The Barbarian in the 2011 reboot of the same name. The Baywatch: Hawaii alumnus has also led television series such as See and Frontier in which he played warrior Baba Voss and fur trapper Declan Harp respectively.
Michelle Rodriguez As Letty Ortiz
Former criminal and professional street racer Letty has gone through a lot of ups and downs with her husband Dom. Even though a brainwashed Letty had once become Dom’s enemy, she is now constantly on Dom’s side. Apart from high-octane bike stunts, she also indulges in hand-to-hand combat with The Fate of the Furious villain Cipher. Action star Michelle Rodriguez returns to the Fast X cast as Letty. The actor is also known for her roles as former Umbrella Corporation commando Rain Ocampo in the Resident Evil franchise, boxer Diana Guzman in Girl Fight and Linda as one of the titular heroes in Widows.
Tyrese Gibson As Roman Pearce
Roman Pearce is a regular member of Dom’s team of expert racers. Introduced in 2 Fast 2 Furious, Roman has gone on to deliver some of the funniest Fast & Furious quotes thanks to his chemistry with fellow teammate Tej Parker. However, in Fast X, Dante’s threat forces Roman to take things more seriously even though he manages to deliver his wise-cracking energy at times. Tyrese Gibson is in the Fast X cast reprising his role. The singer and actor gained his first starring role as Jody Summers in Baby Boy. Since then, he has also played Sgt Robert Epps in the Transformers franchise and FBI Agent Stroud in Morbius.
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges As Tej Parker
Roman’s partner in crime, Tej, is a multi-talented member of Dom’s crew. He serves as the team’s tech expert and also doubles as a mechanic for the cars that they drive. Tej is tasked with new technical challenges in Fast X even as his friendly rivalry with Roman continues. Tej is played by rapper-turned-actor Chris “Ludacris” Bridges. Ludacris’ dramatic prowess started out with a supporting role as Anthony in the Oscar Best Picture winner Crash. Playing around his rapper persona, he also played the hip-hop star Skinny Black in Hustle & Flow. Ludacris has also contributed to Fast & Furious soundtracks with songs like “Act a Fool” and “Rest of My Life”.
Nathalie Emmanuel As Ramsey
If there is anyone who can compete with Tej’s technological knowledge, it is ethical hacker Ramsey who has been a constant member of Dom’s team since Furious 7. In Fast X, Ramsey is one of Dante’s many targets as she gets more screen time as compared to previous movies. Emmanuel told The Hollywood Reporter that Fast X finds Ramsey to be “much more open to driving than she was before“. The British actor is best known for playing Daenerys’ counselor Missandei in Game of Thrones and Harriet in The Maze Runner movies.
Jordana Brewster As Mia Toretto
Mia is Dom’s sister and a quintessential Fast & Furious character right from the first film. Even though she has settled down with the two children she had with her partner, Brian O’Conner, Dante’s evil plans jeopardize the survival of her family. So, Fast X forces Mia back into a life of racing and crime-fighting even as she struggles to stay away from it. Fast X cast member Jordana Brewster’s filmography also includes American Crime Story’s first season in which she played Denise Brown, the sister of OJ Simpson’s wife Nicole Brown. Brewster also had a main played Dr. Maureen Cahill in the Lethal Weapon TV reboot.
John Cena As Jakob Toretto
Dom’s brother Jakob served as the primary villain in F9, the franchise’s ninth installment. However, Jakob and Dom have mended their ways in Fast X and the master thief and assassin supports Dom’s team in their battle against Dante. Indulging in Fast X’s adrenaline-fueled car chasees, Jakob is also a high-performance driver. WWE wrestler-turned-actor John Cena returns as Jakob. While Cena started out with action films like 12 Rounds and The Marine, he has also shown his comedic chops in Blockers, Trainwreck and Vacation Friends. Playing Peacemaker in The Suicide Squad and the eponymous TV series further blended Cena’s persona as both an action star and a comedic actor.
Jason Statham As Deckard Shaw
Deckard Shaw has had quite a character transformation, initially introduced as a revenge-seeking villain and later turning into one of Dom’s trusted accomplices. A full circle is achieved in Fast X as Deckard teams up with Han, a character he previously seemed to have killed in the franchise. Joining the Fast X cast, actor-martial artist Jason Statham reunites with Leterrier as the filmmaker also helmed the first two movies of Statham’s Transporter franchise. Statham’s popular credits include the mercenary Lee Christmas in The Expendables trilogy, Cockney boxing promoter in Snatch and hitman Chev Chelios in the Crank series. He has also played Deckard in the Fast & Furious spin-off Hobbs & Shaw.
Sung Kang As Han Lue
Han Lue is an expert at the art of “drifting” and even though he was presumed to be dead, it turns out that he had faked his death. Teaming up with former nemesis Deckard Shaw, Han sits in the drivers’ seat again for some high-speed car chase sequences that obviously require a good deal of drifting. Other than the Fast & Furious franchise, Han actor Sung Kang played district attorney John Mak in the crime drama series Power. Kung also starred alongside Sylvester Stallone as Detective Taylor Kwon in Bullet to the Head and guest-starred in Obi-Wan Kenobi as the inquisitor known as the Fifth Brother.
Brie Larson As Tess
One of the most highly-anticipated new members of the Fast X cast is Brie Larson who makes her franchise debut as Tess. While Larson’s Fast X character led to many fan theories, the trailers revealed that Tess is the daughter of government agent Mr. Nobody. She becomes a rogue representative of his agency when she decides to partner with Dom’s crew. While her emotionally-poignant performance as the protective mother Joy Newsome in Room earned her a Best Actress Oscar, Larson has proven herself to be a bankable star ever since she debuted as MCU Captain Marvel and played investigative photojournalist Mason Weaver in Kong: Skull Island.
Charlize Theron As Cipher
Joining Dante in his plans against Dom is cyberterrorist Cipher who previously fought the crew in The Fate of the Furious and F9. The criminal mastermind also gets to show off her fighting moves in a hand-to-hand duel against Letty. Charlize Theron plays Fast X‘s secondary villain, one of her many action roles like Furiousa in Mad Max: Fury Road and MI6 agent Lorraine Broughton in Atomic Blonde. Theron is also an acclaimed actor in dramas, having earning an Oscar for portraying serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Monster. She earned further Oscar nominations for playing Josey Aimes in North Country and journalist Megyn Kelly in Bombshell.
Fast X Supporting Cast & Characters
Alan Ritchson as Agent Aimes – The new agent who oversees the operations of Mr. Nobody’s government agency is not very fond of Dom and his activities. Agent Aimes is played by Alan Ritchson, who is known for playing Jack Reacher in Reacher and the DC superheroes Hawk and Aquaman in Titans and Smallville.
Daniela Melchior as Isabel – Isabel is a Brazilian street racer who has a connection to Dom’s past. The Fast X cast sees Daniela Melchior playing the supporting character. Melchior is known for playing the Ratcatcher in The Suicide Squad and voiced Spider-Gwen in the Portuguese dub of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse.
Scott Eastwood as Eric Reisner – While Kurt Russell’s Mr. Nobody is absent from the Fast X cast, Scott Eastwood’s law enforcement agent Eric Reisner (AKA Little Nobody) returns. The son of veteran actor Clint Eastwood, he has starred as retired US Army soldier Clint Romesha in The Outpost and the Jaeger pilot Nathan “Nate” Lamber in Pacific Rim Uprising.
Dame Helen Mirren as Magdalene “Queenie” Ellmanson-Shaw – Deckard Shaw’s mother and the leader of an all-woman militia, Fast X’s Queenie is portrayed by Oscar winner Helen Mirren. The legendary British actor is known for portraying Queen Elizabeth II in The Queen and housekeeper Mrs. Wilson in Gosford Park.
Rita Moreno as Abuelita – Fast X also introduces Dom, Mia and Jakob’s grandmother, simply known as Abuelita. She is played by stage and screen legend Rita Moreno who is one of the few EGOT performers to have been awarded an Emmy, Golden Globe, Oscar, and Tony. Her breakout character was Anita in 1952’s West Side Story for which she won a Best Supporting Actress Oscar. This win made Moreno the first Latin-American woman to win an Oscar. Moreno also played crucial supporting roles in other classic musicals like The King and I and Singin’ in the Rain.
Michael Rooker as Buddy – A mechanic attached to Dom’s father’s pit crew, Buddy returns to Fast X after being introduced in F9. He is played by Michael Rooker who is an accomplished character actor with roles like Yondu in Guardians of the Galaxy, Henry in Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer and Merle Dixon in The Walking Dead.
Cardi B as Leysa – Rapper Cardi B reprises her F9 character Leysa in Fast X. A member of Queenie’s crew, Leysa has also had history with Dom. Leysa isn’t the Grammy winner’s first screen character as she also played the stripper Diamond in the crime comedy-drama Hustlers.
Source: Variety, GamesRadar, Hollywood Reporter
