Fast X is continuing the tradition of family in the two upcoming movies that will close out the Fast Saga. With the first part underway, Vin Diesel and his cinematic brethren are putting together the usual high octane action adventure you’d expect from the series. Through a new throwback photo of Sung Kang and Diesel’s actual sister/Fast producer Samantha Vincent, actual family and cinematic family intersect. Namely through the story of how Samantha helped bring Han back to the fold.
Taking time from his busy Fast Saga schedule, Vin Diesel did what he does best: wax poetic on Instagram. In this new message, Diesel reflected on how Sung Kang came back to the table, despite his supposed on-screen death in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. As you’ll see below, Samantha Vincent was a very crucial part of that formula, and the rest was history:
Talking about how happy he was to see Sung Kang back at it on the Fast X set, Vin Diesel tells the story about how Samantha Vincent ensured Han Lue would be back in the series for some time to come. A week in the Dominican Republic, and no pay for the actors or even Diesel himself, some may have rejected the opportunity. Not Kang, as his return would help set the table for Fast history to come.
Deep cut Fast Saga fans probably felt their eyes perk up when reading the title Los Bandoleros, as that short film occupies a specific place in the rather loopy Fast and Furious timeline. Directed by Vin Diesel himself, it returned both Sung Kang’s Han Lue and Diesel’s Dominic Toretto back into the Fast movie ecosystem. Bridging the gap between The Fast and the Furious and Fast & Furious, the story pairs the two up to show just why Dom wasn’t present in the second and third movies in the franchise.
The beginning of an interesting relationship the Fast Saga movies would have with Han Lue’s history, Kang’s character would eventually “die” again in Fast and Furious 6. Cut to last summer, when “Justice for Han” was finally served, as Sung Kang returned to the playing field in F9. Again, time works weirdly in this universe, but it does have its benefits.
Without Los Bandoleros kicking it all off, Han and Dom’s returns might have made a little less sense. Thankfully, that short was included as a special feature on the home releases for Fast & Furious, ingraining it in the lore of the series for over a decade. If you haven’t seen the short yet, you can watch it online, thanks to the film’s editor Sonia Gonzalez-Martinez.
Who knows what sorts of twists, turns, and returns Fast X will bring? If Vin Diesel and Samantha Vincent have something up their sleeves, they’re certainly not telling. We’ll just have to wait for Fast X’s May 19, 2023 release to see what’s next, while also keeping a close eye on Vin Diesel’s social media accounts for any updates. In the meantime, HBO subscribers can rewatch Sung Kang’s triumphant return in F9, as that platform is the current home for last year’s box office smash.
