Finally, F9: The Fast Saga is in theaters, so make sure to check out . It may be over a year late thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, but Fast 9–the latest film in the Fast and Furious franchise–has finally seen the light of day, reuniting fans with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family. And while the film was stuffed with all kinds of intense action, plot twists, and surprises, we need to talk about that ending.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for F9. If you haven’t gone to see the movie yet, stop reading now. If you’re fine with finding out what happens at the end of the film, carry on.
First thing’s first, yes there is a mid-credits scene in Fast 9. So don’t bolt out of your seat the moment the movie ends. Besides, you should stick around for the credits anyway. A lot of people worked hard to make this movie a reality and you should give them the attention they deserve.
As for the ending, the final moments of the film set the course for what to expect in the next two films–and those movies are supposedly going to be the final entries in the main series.
Jakob Toretto
Firstly, after being the antagonist throughout the film, Jakob sides with his family and helps them stop Cipher (Charlize Theron) and Otto (Thue Ersted Rasmussen) from gaining control of technology that can hack into any weapons system in the world. Granted, Jakob abandoning his evil cause to help out his brother isn’t a moment that’s entirely earned. It’s pretty obvious that he probably would have remained a bad guy had Cipher and Otto not turned on him, but there’s no way this movie was going to end with a Toretto being a villain.
After the day is saved and Cipher escapes to presumably plot her revenge, Dom and Mia (Jordana Brewster) let their brother escape. Chances are that means we’ll see him again in the next movie. Sure, Jakob may be a terrorist who attempted to overthrow the world’s governments, but Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) wasn’t the nicest guy either and now he’s one of the family.
Deckard Shaw
Speaking of Deckard Shaw, he pops up in a mid-credits scene in the film. Technically we last saw him in Fast and Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw, the spin-off he starred in alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Deckard has some unfinished business in the main series, though. While he may have buried the hatchet with Dom in Fate of the Furious, prior to that we all knew him as the guy who killed Han.
However, now we know Han isn’t dead; he was just in hiding. After Shaw attempted to kill him, Han was enlisted by Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell). Still, Han has plenty to be mad at Shaw about, given that he tried to blow him up–and now he’s come calling.
In the mid-credits scene, Shaw is working over a punching bag (which we learn has someone he doesn’t like stuffed inside, taking a beating). When there’s a knock at his door, he opens it to find himself face-to-face with Han.
Clearly, we’re going to see those two hash out their differences in the next film, be it with words or fists. That is, of course, unless Shaw already knew Han was alive. After all, Deckard is no stranger to Mr. Nobody. It could easily be revealed that he was working with Nobody to help make Han disappear. That would be a pretty massive retcon, but hey, we are talking about the Fast and Furious series here.. Alternatively, they could just have the two characters punch each other a bunch until they’re best friends. Then, they could find a way to bring Giselle (Gal Gadot) back.
You can go home again
As the movie comes to a close, the family returns to Los Angeles for what feels like the first time since Furious 7. We see the Toretto house being rebuilt, with a BBQ happening in the backyard. It’s a sweet moment that harkens back to the original film and includes a moment that could very well bring some fans to tears.
While sitting down to say grace before their meal, Dom mentions that they’re still waiting on one person to arrive for the meal. As the camera pulls out, we see Brian’s car arrive, quickly pulling into the driveway.
Brian was, of course, played by the late Paul Walker. The actor died before the release of Furious 7, and his character was sidelined in Fate of the Furious, alongside his wife Mia. This last moment is a touching tribute to the character, as well as the actor. While we won’t see Brian again in the movies, it’s good to see the spirit of the character kept alive in these little ways.
F9: The Fast Saga is in theaters now.
Check it out
