Is ‘Fast X’ the Last Fast & Furious Movie? The Series Ending Explained

Despite being one of the longest movies in the Fast Saga, Fast X doesn’t nearly conclude the series’ main storylines. Universal’s announcement that the blockbuster is only the beginning of the end rather than the saga’s conclusion was welcome for many. The movie’s ending leaves more questions than answers, making a sequel inevitable, although some fans feel the franchise has outlived its glory days. So could Fast X still be the last Fast & Furious movie, or is the extension necessary?

Fast X ends with a cliffhanger, meaning a sequel or even multiple will be needed to bring a conclusion to the devastation of Dom’s “family” at the end of the movie. Universal had initially announced that Fast X would be the first of two movies to conclude Fast & Furious. However, there is a possibility of the movies being turned into a trilogy, as suggested by Vin Diesel in an interview.

Whether Fast X ends up being two or three movies doesn’t change the fact that the franchise’s popularity has diminished. Box Office numbers have been dwindling since Fast & Furious 7. Fast 9 actually received lots of criticism for being poorly written and having extremely unrealistic stunts. With franchise fatigue setting in, could Fast X be the last great Fast & Furious movie? Let’s delve into it.

What is Fast X about?

*This section contains spoilers for Fast X

Fast X is a battle for survival for Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his family after they fall into a series of traps set by a vengeful international terrorist Dante Reyes, whose father, Hernan, was killed by Dom’s friend Luke Hobbs in 2011.

The trouble starts when Dom’s friends Tej Parker, Roman, Ramsay, and Han Lue get trapped in a vehicle packed with explosives in Rome after they fall for Dante’s first trick, designed to look like a mission commissioned by their friend Little Nobody.

As Dom and his wife Letty go to Rome to save them, they are pulled into the mess as a bomb set by Dante explodes near the Vatican, leading to the team being named terrorists by the authorities.

Dom’s wife gets arrested as a terrorist, and while Dom manages to escape, he is forced to make hard choices since Dante manages to locate and kidnap his son and brother in Portugal.

To save his son, Dom goes to Portugal to take on Dante, but it turns out to be another trap that sees him lose his brother, who sacrifices himself to save his son, Brian.

Dom’s ultimate car stunt saves him and his son after he drives off a bridge to escape Dante’s helicopters and two large trucks, but his losses keep mounting since his grandmother and brother are now dead at Dante’s hands.

The rest of Dom’s team also falls victim to Dante’s ultimate trap, which involves an insider in Dom’s family, leaving the whole team presumed dead after Dante’s spy destroys their airplane upon arrival in Portugal.

Although Letty’s escape from prison seems like a victory, Dom has little to rejoice about because he has been hit by Dante so many times without hitting back, and Dante is still alive and threatening to wipe out the rest of his family and friends.

The ending is a cliffhanger that leaves Dom hanging onto his life, his team in disarray, and Dante’s relentless attacks seeming just beginning.

Therefore, the saga’s conclusion is far from over at the end of Fast X, which is why Fast 11 or X2 is expected to bring the Dante saga closer to its conclusion, with Dom hopefully getting some victories.

Is Fast X part of a trilogy?

Universal’s order for a two-part ending is still the official plan as of the release of Fast X in the US, but that is likely to change in light of interviews made by several cast members, including Vin Diesel.

“… after the studio saw this part one, they said, ‘Could you make Fast X the finale, a trilogy?’ So, um…” Vin Diesel told a reporter in Italy suggesting that Fast X will likely be a trilogy.

The statement was supported by Michelle Rodriguez, who plays Letty in the series, who said, “there is three acts to any story.”

However, Vin Diesel didn’t confirm that there would be three movies, as he brushed off the question, saying the comments would land him in trouble.

A two-part ending seemed ideal as it would follow the trend of other successful franchises, such as Harry Potter and Avengers.

Extending a simple script to produce a trilogy hasn’t worked well in the past, with Hobbit being one such example of a franchise that lost its attraction due to the extension.

There is no confirmation from Universal as to whether they will do three movies rather than two for Fast X, but it is likely to happen considering how far Fast X is from a conclusion.

When will the Fast 11 be released?

Universal hasn’t given the details about the plot, cast, and release date for the 11th Fast & Furious movie yet, but Vin Diesel suggested in an interview that it could be released in 2025.

Universal has already confirmed that Louis Leterrier, who directed Fast X, will be the movie’s director after he managed to recreate the electric car chase scenes of Fast Five in Fast X.

With rumors of a possible trilogy, it is not clear whether the movie will be called Fast 11, Fast XI, or Fast X2.

The movie’s production is not in doubt, though, since Universal has already assembled a team of writers, including Christina Hodson and Orena Uziel.

Suppose everything goes according to Vin Diesel’s plans. The movie will likely be released between April and May of 2025, following the same trend of summer releases as previous Fast & Furious Films.