There was a time when it never seemed like Sung Kang’s Han Lue would return to the Fast & Furious franchise. After all, Fast & Furious 6’s end-credits scene and Furious 7 re-depicted the character’s death that was first shown back in Tokyo Drift, but in F9, it was revealed that his demise was a ruse set up by Mr. Nobody. So now Han is back to being a regular member of Dominic Toretto’s family, which is fitting considered that family is involved with why Kang keeps coming back to the Fast & Furious movies.
Kang is only a few years away from approaching the 20th anniversary of his Fast & Furious debut, and while money obviously factors into him continuing to play Han Lue (as it would with any actor), that’s not the only reason he’s still playing Han. However, as the actor said while stopping by DUMBFOUNDEAD, returning to the role wasn’t even conceivable to him just half a decade ago:
You know, if you asked me this question five years ago, I would say 'Nah, no way.'
Maybe Sung Kang didn’t think at the beginning of 2019 that reprising Han was ever in the cards, but he must’ve learned it was quite the opposite soon after considering that F9, the movie that brought his character back, began filming that June. By early 2020, the first F9 trailer revealed that Han was still alive, and audiences learned about the circumstances of his survival when the movie was finally released in summer 2021. But as Kang went on to say, five years ago, he wasn’t keen on being closely tied to Fast & Furious:
Maybe like I had a certain prejudice against my own franchise going 'I can't be in this car movie and be known for Han for the rest of my life. I don't know if I wanna do that.'
I don’t blame him for feeling this way, as many actors don’t want to be typecast in certain roles, and some have even found trouble getting jobs because they’re so well known for playing a specific character. However, Kang then explained that learning how much the Fast & Furious franchise means to people caused him to change his tune:
As I get older, and as I’ve been living in this franchise longer, the more I travel outside of my little bubble, you realize the impact of the franchise and then that character. It's something that I can't just dismiss and go 'Yeah it's just frivolous dude that's snacking in some popcorn movie.'
Considering the positive reaction from the fanbase for Han’s return in F9, Sung Kang is certainly correct that this character, and the Fast & Furious franchise as a whole, means a lot to people. So while playing Han is a job for him first and foremost, he’s also fully aware of the character’s importance, continuing:
It's way bigger than me. And also, it's like, you go: ‘What am I doing to contribute to humanity as Sung?’ Well, I get to play this guy Han that now people of all colors are embracing as one of their own.
Later on in the interview, Kang added that he not only welcomes the opportunity to keep driving around in cool cars in these movies, but also likes continuing to work with actors he’s known for many years and considers part of his own family, including Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris:
These movies are fun, they're big old budget car movies. I get to be around cars, I get to be around people that I've worked with for the past 20 years. And after 20 years, you know, it's a dysfunctional family, but they're your family. It's just wonderful ‘cause it's a reunion. And you get older and people get smarter and they’re wiser and they calm down, right? And so, what's wrong with it?
Universal Pictures officially has two Fast & Furious movies lined up: Fast 11, i.e. the direct sequel to Fast X, and Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Reyes, which will see Dwayne Johnson and Jason Momoa’s title characters clashing in an interlude story set between X and 11. Sung Kang will likely return for the latter movie, but with Vin Diesel having also indicated last year that The Fast Saga’s finale could be extended into a trilogy, there’s also the possibility of seeing Han back in action with his cohorts in Fast 12, assuming the project gets greenlit. However much longer this franchise goes on for, Kang sounds like he’s content to keep enjoying the ride.
Revisit Sung Kan’s most recent Han Lue outing by streaming Fast X with your Amazon Prime Video subscription. You should also look over what’s listed on the 2024 movies schedule while waiting for more updates on what’s coming up in Fast 11 and other upcoming Fast & Furious movies.
