Fast & Furious 11: It’s Too Late for a Street-Level Comeback
Vin Diesel has hinted that Fast & Furious 11 will return to the franchise’s street-level roots, but it’s already too late for that. The series has long since abandoned its grounded approach, embracing absurdity and fantasy.
The first few movies in the franchise maintained a semi-grounded tone, but by Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6, the series had become a far-fetched fantasy. Cars were already skydiving, and then things only got more outlandish. There’s no going back to square one after that.
Fast & Furious 11 is scheduled to be released in 2026, but it’s already facing significant challenges. The latest installment, Fast X, has left a trail of characters and plot threads hanging, making it difficult to wrap everything up in a coherent narrative. The movie is beholden to its cliffhanger ending, which leaves off with multiple storylines unresolved.
Moreover, the franchise has become too big for a simple street-level story. It’s been expanded to include characters like black-ops mercenaries, making a grounded narrative impossible. Fast & Furious 11 will struggle to balance the many plates it has in the air, with multiple storylines and characters to tie up.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe faced a similar challenge in its two-part conclusion, Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. In contrast to the Avengers’ unified goal of defeating Thanos, the Fast & Furious characters are widely scattered, making it difficult for the filmmakers to create a cohesive story.
Ultimately, Fast & Furious 11 will likely be another far-fetched outing in the series, with characters surviving the most implausible situations. The franchise has come too far to turn back the clock, and it’s better late than never for fans of the series to acknowledge its transformation into a high-octane, over-the-top action franchise.