Few franchises in Hollywood listen as closely to their audience as Fast & Furious, which is one of the main reasons why the most recent installment finally sent the crew into outer space. Not only that, but #JusticeForHan was kind of served, even if it turned out that Sung Kang’s enduring fan favorite was never actually dead to begin with.
Instead, it was all part of an elaborate ploy concocted and orchestrated by Kurt Russell’s Mr. Nobody, who helped Han fake his own death so that he could operate in the shadows as a secret agents of sorts, pulling off dangerous jobs and ultimately protecting Anna Sawai’s Annie, F9‘s walking MacGuffin that holds the key to the nonsensical Ares device.
As part of the Blu-ray special features attached to the movie’s home video release, director Justin Lin explained why he felt so strongly about dispensing Justice for Han upon his hotly-anticipated return behind the camera after a two-film sabbatical.
“I started talking to fans, and I realized they were really upset. And I think what really upset them wasn’t that Shaw was at the barbecue, it was that the fact that Han was never discussed.”
Of course, the mid-credits scene of Fast & Furious 9 looks to tie that story up in the tenth and eleventh chapters, with Han making a surprise appearance at Deckard Shaw’s top secret hideaway, where Jason Statham’s reformed villain was pulverizing a punchbag that also happened to have a person inside of it. That should provide closure for both the characters and the fanbase, but most folks are just thrilled that the constantly-snacking cult hero is alive and well.
