'Fast X' director teases Brie Larson's mystery character is a 'guardian angel' for Vin Diesel

When Fast X zooms onto the big screen this May, it will do so with the involvement of four — count 'em! — Oscar winners: Charlize Theron, Rita Moreno, Helen Mirren, and Brie Larson.

Two of them, Theron (Cipher) and Mirren (Magdalene Shaw), have already appeared in previous installments of the high-octane franchise. Moreno, as we know, has been confirmed to play the mother of Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto. And what of Ms. Larson? Beyond a name — "Tess" — nothing else is known about the new character joining the ride in its second-to-last outing.

RELATED: How Jason Momoa's 'Fast X' story connects to 'Fast Five,' and what we need to remember about that vault scene

Director Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me) teased out her motivations during an interview for the latest issue of Total Film (now on sale), describing Tess as a "guardian angel" for Dom, who enjoys a "very strong" link to the wider cinematic series. The filmmaker refused to go into more detail, but the magazine hypothesizes that Larson may have "a tie to Paul Walker's Brian."

This time around, the Toretto crew finds itself in the deadly sights of Dante (Fast Saga newcomer and Aquaman alum Jason Momoa), the revenge-driven son of late South American drug lord Hernan Reyes. You may recall that Reyes met a grisly demise over a decade ago in the climax of 2011's Fast Five. The upcoming chapter in the 23-year-old franchise will open with a recreation of the iconic bank heist, albeit from Dante's perspective.

Leterrier characterized the fresh baddie as a swirling tornado of entropy, who has one goal and one goal only: destroy everything Dom loves in the world. And there's nothing Mr. Toretto loves more than his family. "Dante is in awe of Dom," the director added. "He's analyzed him. There's nowhere to hide, because he knows Dom better than he knowns himself. Dom truly meets his match with Dante."

While the director was asked to board the project two weeks into principal photography (Justin Lin made the tough choice to step down from the top job and into an executive producer role), he knew he couldn't pass up the opportunity to put his mark on one of the most enduring cinematic properties of the 21st century.

“It’s very interesting to enter a machine — because it is a machine," Leterrier concluded. "It is something that’s well-oiled, where everything is perfectly tuned. To use a music analogy, I was given the most amazing instrument to play with, and I just ripped an amazing solo."

We'll get to see Dante in action (and where Tess's loyalties truly lie) when Fast X crosses the finish line into theaters Friday, May 19.

Relive a portion of the Fast Saga with The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Furious 7 — both of which are streaming on Peacock. If you want even more Vin Diesel action, then check out Pitch Black, The Chronicles of Riddick, and Riddick.