Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!
‘Fast X’ director teases ‘tremendous casualties’ for Dom and family: ‘His enemies are coming’
It's all setting up for an epic finale as the Fast Saga races toward the finish.
It’s been a long time coming, and he’s made more than a few enemies along the way: Yep, Dom Toretto (Vin Diesel) is facing ultimate odds as Fast X comes drifting ‘round the final bend toward its May date with moviegoers, fending off one familiar nemesis (Charlize Theron as Cipher) while dealing with an altogether new and hyper-motivated threat.
That mean new mien looming in Dom’s rearview is none other than Dante (franchise newcomer Jason Momoa), the son of vanquished Fast Five foe and deceased Brazilian cartel kingpin, Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida). With his dad dead and Dom living high on Reyes' stolen millions, Dante, of course, arrives in Dom's world of Fast X as a dude who's seriously bent on vengeance.
“He’s an incredible new character,” as director Louis Leterrier recently confided in the newest edition of Empire magazine (on sale now), one who's “1,000 percent Momoa. And they are bad news, but one is more afraid than the other. One is worse news than the other.”
Leterrier isn’t saying just yet whether it’s Dom or Dante who should be the more frightened, but he’s pulling no punches when it comes to Dom’s vulnerability after birthing so many enemies over the course of the wider Fast Saga.
“When you have fought so hard to keep your faith and protect your family, and literally change the world, which is the case for Dom Toretto, there is a price to pay,” he explained. “His enemies are coming after him. There’s a total sum of enemies that are coming after him…People are going to need to take sides. Alliances will need to be made. Good guys will become bad guys, bad guys will become good guys.”
Leterrier describes Fast X as a more down-to-Earth sequel than its F9 predecessor, which (quite literally) shot two cherished members of the family into space aboard a “rocket car.” But that by no means signals any less of a blast-off for the insane array of visuals that the new movie features, thanks to a creative commitment to awe-inspiring practical effects and gonzo action set pieces that sent the production team all the way around the world.
“We went for real stunts, which we’re enhancing with visual effects,” said Leterrier. “We shot in L.A., London, Rio, Portugal. We blew up Hummers flying around Rome. There’ll be some iconic imagery in this one. You will see: As long as Dom Toretto is behind the wheel of a car, there’s nothing he cannot do.”
RELATED: 'Fast X's Louis Leterrier teases 'gigantic' 'Fast XI' — but will he direct the final chapter?
We’ll just have to wait and see, but that “nothing” Leterrier’s teasing may even end up involving real tears. With Dante, revenge is personal — and that means the stakes to keep the family safe have never been higher. They could be so high, in fact, that by the time the flag drops on the forthcoming eleventh and final film in the Fast Saga, someone might not make it all the way home.
“There’s a war brewing. It’s coming to an end, and it is a race to the finish. There will be some tremendous casualties,” said Leterrier. “…You know, I don’t want to oversell it, but what we’re planning on the next one is just gigantic, in terms of action, scope, and emotion. You will feel all the feels. Tears will roll.”
Save the date now for the May 19 premiere of Fast X, while making sure to sneak a hankie into the theater (because you just never know). The final entry in the series has yet to receive an official release date from Universal Pictures.
For more lessons in past Fast Saga lore, check out Peacock, where The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Furious 7 are both streaming around the clock.
