With the announcement that the Fast and the Furious franchise will be getting a shared universe à la Star Wars and the Marvel films, it’s time to start placing bets on which characters will get their own films (Han Lue, obviously) and which characters we are never, ever going to hear from again in our lives (Twinkie). Assuming that spinoffs will include sequels and prequels, let’s take a look at the major players in the Fast franchise and see who might get behind the wheel of their own movie someday.
Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster): 1,000:1
Mia literally exists as a plot device. First, she created tension between Dom (Vin Diesel) and Brian (Paul Walker). Then, when they became friends, she was always in danger to give Brian motivation to go through with his missions. She was such an afterthought in Furious 7 that no one will remember she exists when it comes time to creating a new film. Even 20 years from now, when her and Brian’s son Jack starts racing cars (hopefully teaming up with his younger sister), they’ll forget to write scenes for Jack’s mom.
Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot): 600:1
When every news item about Gal Gadot getting cast as Wonder Woman mentioned she’d been in the Fast movies, you’re forgiven if you went, “Who?†Gadot didn’t really make much of a mark in these films, aside from dying to give Han (Sung Kang) someone to grieve over. No one’s gonna bother making a Gisele film, but she might pop up in a Han prequel if Gadot is free.
Vince (Matt Schulze): 500:1
There’s really not much use for Vince, especially since he’s dead and Paul Walker isn’t around for him to clash with, but this is Hollywood and he’s a white guy, so there’s always a chance someone will make a movie about him.
Twinkie (Bow Wow): 400:1
Jokes about how pointless Twinkie was in Tokyo Drift aside, it wouldn’t be completely out of the question to imagine a studio wanting a Fast film with a black lead. But chances are those leads would be Ludacris and Tyrese, not Bow Wow.
Monica Fuentes (Eva Mendes): 300:1
Remember when Eva Mendes was teased in the credits sequence of Fast Five and then never showed up in Fast 6? Doesn’t bode well for her chances of headlining her own movie, but it wouldn’t be completely out of the question to have a Fast film that dives into the sexy, mysterious, sure-to-be-thrilling world of U.S. Customs. Eva going undercover in a drug ring could take the films in a different direction from the heist angle they’ve been working recently.
Sean Boswell (Lucas Black): 250:1
Lucas Black only showed up after Tokyo Drift to loop in Han’s death, but there’s plenty of story to mine with Boswell — because we practically know nothing about him. Literally, we know two facts: He’s a bit of a hothead, and he was born in Alabama. The Fast franchise could soak up some sweet country-music money by doing a Dukes of Hazzard–style film set in the Deep South.
Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky): 200:1
Elena could very well have her own movie, since she’s proven to be a pretty dope character, but since the Rock is her love interest in the franchise, the chances of her leading a film without him are slim to none. So sure, she might co-headline a film, but she definitely won’t get her own.
Owen Shaw & Deckard Shaw (Luke Evans & Jason Statham): 100:1
It might seem odd to make a spinoff centered around two villains, but Jason Statham is a proven star, and Luke Evans, bless his heart, is gonna keep trying after Dracula Untold. Why not give the villainous Shaw siblings their own film? It could be a Godfather-esque film that shows two brothers on the right side of the law eventually turning to the dark side. Or they could just be straight-up evil and blow up a lot of shit.
Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez): 50:1
The years Letty had amnesia and was presumed dead are begging for a prequel series. There’d be an opportunity to throw her into an entirely new setting that would feel similar to the Fast films but ultimately take the series in a new direction. And with how much these films like to time-hop all over the place, the sequel to this film could take place in regular continuity, where Letty has her memory back. You could even bring back Iggy Azalea to chant her iconic, Oscar-winning line: “Hey, there’s the girl I’ve heard so much about. Where you been at, ghost girl?â€
Tej Parker & Roman Pearce (Ludacris & Tyrese): 10: 1
It’d be downright silly not to give Ludacris and Tyrese their own spinoff. Their constant bickering is the best part of Furious 7, and wouldn’t it be a revelation to have a buddy film with a black lead that doesn’t require a straight-laced white guy for him to play off? Ludacris is already the straight man in these, and Tyrese is the wild card. It’s Lethal Weapon for a new generation.
Han Lue (Sung Kang): 5:1
Han will probably get his own film. The franchise’s timeline was altered after Tokyo Drift just to keep his dead character around, so even though he finally bit the bullet in the series’ current continuity, there’s plenty of prequel material to mine with Han. Plus, you could pull most of the other characters not worthy of their own films (Gisele Yashar, Sean Boswell) into the prequels.
Luke Hobbs (Dwyane “the Rock†Johnson): 2:1
If anyone is getting a Fast spinoff, it’s gonna fucking be the Rock. As one of Hollywood’s most valuable stars of 2015, Universal would be insane not to give Hobbs his own franchise. He’s arguably been the biggest star of the franchise, and kicks ass in every action sequence they’ve tossed at him. The opening of Furious 7 was basically a backdoor pilot for Hobbs’s own films. Three Hobbs spinoffs have probably been green-lit by the time you’ve finished reading this.