He's back! Fans were thrilled at the surprise return of Han Lue at the end of the first F9 trailer, but no one was more excited than Fast and Furious actor Sung Kang. We thought Han was dead, killed by none other than Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw, as revealed in Justin Lin's previous Fast movie, Fast & Furious 6.
Since Han's death, fans have been calling for #JusticeForHan. Sung Kang opened up on the movement to bring him back and how it feels to be back. He also teased a little bit about what we can expect from Han's return in F9.
It’s emotional -- it feels like I’m going back to a family reunion. It’s a relationship that has been missing in my life since the last Fast.
That's what Sung Kang told the L.A. Times before his appearance at the January 31 trailer concert event in Miami.
As for how he and director Justin Lin approached bringing back Han in F9, here's what Sung Kang was willing to tease:
We know who and what Han is. And we’re older now. This Han is older. The things that we’ve learned as men in our personal lives, I hope it can transcend on-screen.
Sung Kang wouldn't reveal the big question of HOW Han is back, but he did tell the L.A. Times that everything ties back to the Fast franchise's theme of "family."
I hope we do it justice.
Agreed! And speaking of justice, Sung Kang initially didn't seem to think anything would come of #JusticeForHan. Then there was the Shaw twist:
When Shaw came in and was revealed to be the killer and got invited into the family fold … that’s where you went, ‘Well, is this character being respected?
Yeah, bringing Shaw into the family after what he did to Han never sat right with fans. Hobbs & Shaw had a throwaway line where Shaw said, "There’s things I’ve done that I have to make amends for." Screenwriter Chris Morgan told the L.A. Times, "That is specifically referring to Han." That wasn't enough for fans, but Morgan did tease more to come with this response to the #JusticeForHan movement:
Justice for Han. I think you'll learn a lot more about it, and I don't know if that hashtag will be the appropriate one to put on it down the road. But I can tell you this: We will definitely be talking more about Han.
Maybe fans won't want justice for Han if Han is alive and well? That twist will have to be explained -- and hopefully not in a way that's too bonkers. Then again, this is a franchise that just held a trailer premiere concert event in Miami, so "bonkers" is pretty much its brand.
Director Justin Lin already got fans primed for #JusticeForHan when he was spotted wearing a T-shirt with the slogan while on the Fast and Furious 9 set. After the trailer came out to reveal Han's surprise return, he explained why F9 is bringing back Han. Here's one part of his response:
In this world, I feel like things happen for a reason. I won’t go into details or anything, but I do think that bringing him back is nothing I take lightly — and it took a lot — but I think what I appreciate is that this universe has really grown and it allows us to evolve and really kind of redefine ourselves as we go.
Grow and evolve -- do you think they are going to try to find some way to get Shaw and Han on the same side, through a tie of family? The F9 trailer didn't just reveal Han's return, it also introduced John Cena's new character as Jakob Toretto, brother of Dominic Toretto (and Mia too, or...?). Apparently Dom and Jakob have bad blood and I guess we'll find out why.
F9 is also bringing back The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift's Lucas Black as Sean Boswell. Black posted a little video on Instagram, noting, "It was great to reunite with Justin Lin and Sung Kang."
F9 also gave Han his own poster, which Sung Kang shared on Instagram with #JusticeForHan. Mia Toretto actress Jordana Brewster also shared the poster, with the tagline "Justice Is Coming"...
Sung Kang shared a comment on Jordana Brewster's post:
Thank you sister for always being there with open arms. I’m a a fan if you as a person. Love.
It sounds cheesy to keep calling the Fast and Furious stars a family, but they do seem to act that way. (They even fight like family when they have their feuds, then try to make up later.)
I'm curious to know how Han is returning, but I'm also thinking that mystery won't be solved until F9 hits theaters on May 22, 2020.
