The last few years have been good to actress Anna Sawai on the TV front, as Netflix subscribers first got to see her among the ensemble lineup of the historical drama Pachinko, and she can currently be seen as a member of Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ cast. Before both those shows came out though, Sawai caught attention for playing Elle, the ward of Sung Kang’s Han Lue, in F9, but she didn’t reprise the role in the 2023 movie release Fast X.
So when the opportunity came to speak with Sawai on behalf of CinemaBlend, we got to talking about Fast 11, and she gave an answer regarding a potential Elle return.
For those who haven’t been keeping tabs on the Fast & Furious franchise, the main film series has begun racing towards an ending, with Fast 11 officially happening, Dwayne Johnson and Jason Momoa teaming up for a spinoff bridging Fast X and 11, and Fast 12 potentially being on the table too, if Vin Diesel is to be believed. So I was curious about if a return to The Fast Saga, specifically in Fast 11, was on the horizon for Sawai, and she told me:
I actually don’t know, but I do know that Han had a scene in Fast X where he’s mentioning Elle in a scene, but it didn’t make the final cut. But I think there is still space for her… We’ll see, I would love to.
Back in June, Sung Kang shared there was a scene cut from Fast X that “kind of” hinted at where Elle was during those events. The actor mentioned the young girl who essentially became Han’s adopted daughter is “in school,” but given all the “real estate” that was packed into Fast X, there just wasn’t any time to mention her whereabouts. However, Kang expressed interest in checking back in with Elle before The Fast Saga is over, and Sawai is also game for this to happen, though it sounds like no one's officially touched base about this yet.
Still, considering Fast X’s ending saw Gal Gadot’s Gisele Yashar, who was thought to have died in Fast & Furious 6, being revealed as still alive, we know it’s only a matter of time until she and Han reunite. Once that happens, I have to think that we’ll get at least a scene of Elle meeting Gisele, as these are the two most important women in his life.
That said, depending on how much time has passed between F9 and whenever we see Elle next, my fingers are crossed she’ll get to directly participate in the action rather than be relegated to the sidelines. Elle’s a part of this sprawling family, which means she deserves to be put behind the wheel of a car.
Fast 11 is currently set to race into theaters on April 4, 2025, so if/when it’s announced that Anna Sawai will reprise Elle in it, we’ll let you know. Until then, Apple TV+ subscribers can catch Anna Sawai in new episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters on Fridays, and Hulu subscribers will be able to watch her leading the new series Shōgun in early 2024.
