Universal‘s Fast and Furious franchise moves at a breakneck pace, but the rate at which we’re traveling toward the next installment of the franchise feels like the studio is driving with the parking brake engaged. While the world waits for reliable evidence of the follow-up to 2023’s Fast X, industry insider Jeff Sneider recently shared a rumor that’s bound to get people talking.
According to Sneider’s latest email blast, Charles Melton (Her Private Hell, Riverdale, Warfare) is being eyed for the next Fast and Furious movie, which could see Vin Diesel passing the torch to the younger band of thieves and daredevils. More information lies behind Sneider’s premium paywall. Still, the tease implies that Melton will feature in the next Fast film, with his character making enough of an impact on Dominic Toretto to have the “quarter mile at a time” tough guy handing over the keys to the kingdom.
A New Driver for the Franchise?
The rumored handoff feels a bit off or rushed, given Toretto’s history of trust issues and his unwillingness to let just anyone be part of his extended family. Even so, Melton’s character may be someone from Toretto’s past who has already proven himself worthy of respect.
Expanding the Universe on TV
Meanwhile, a Fast and Furious TV series is in the works at Peacock, with Mike Daniels (Sons of Anarchy) and Wolfe Coleman (9-1-1: Lone Star) writing and serving as co-showrunners on the project, which is set to premiere in 2028.
Diesel teased the series at the NBCUniversal Upfront event earlier this year. “As you all know, we are very precious about these movies but over the last decade, we’ve realized that the fans have wanted more, they wanted us to expand the legacy characters, their stories,” Diesel said at the time. “And for the last decade, the desire has been for us to enter the TV space.”
He came around to the idea after Universal Studios chief Donna Langley took over oversight of NBCU’s TV side last year. “That’s when I knew that the integrity of the characters, the international appeal, what makes us all feel like family will be protected in the TV space,” he said.
At the same event, Diesel mentioned that three other potential Fast & Furious TV projects were also being developed. It’s unclear what this series will be about, or if any characters from the film franchise will be included, but it’s a good bet there will be fast cars, heists, and copious amounts of Corona.
The Long Road to Fast Forever
The last film, Fast X, ended on a cliffhanger, making the extended wait for Fast Forever all the more noticeable. The grand finale of the franchise is currently slated for a March 17, 2028, release, which will be a five-year gap between movies, the longest of the entire series, and that’s assuming it actually hits that date.
Diesel has teased that he’s read the script for Fast Forever by Michael Lesslie, which left him in tears because it was just so good. “You have no idea… When March 17th 2028 comes… I just read the ‘Fast Forever’ script by Mike Lesslie. It is the best script I have read in decades. I am still crying,” he said.
What do you think about Charles Melton possibly getting into the driver’s seat for Universal’s Fast and Furious franchise? Let us know in the comments section below.
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