‘Fast X’ Brings Character Back From Dead — What It May Mean for Sequel

• Warning: There are major spoilers ahead for “Fast X.”
• Gisele Yashar (Gal Gadot) returns to the franchise after being “killed off” in 2013’s “Fast 6.”
• We don’t know how Gisele survived yet, but it was likely the work of Mr. Nobody.

“Fast X” ended on a shocking cliffhanger, putting the lives of nearly everyone in the “Fast” family in jeopardy.

A plane carrying Han (Sung Kang), Roman (Tyrese), Tej (Ludacris), and Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel) exploded into the side of a mountain, Jakob (John Cena) may have perished in a burning car, and Dom (Vin Diesel) and his son are staring down a dam that’s ready to burst open.

But the final scene delivered an even bigger shock.

As Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and Cipher (Charlize Theron) escape a holding cell in Antarctica, they’re met by a massive submarine.

The lid pops open to reveal none other than Gal Gadot’s Gisele Yashar who was killed off the franchise in 2013’s “Fast 6.”

Before Letty and Gisele can share any exchanges, the movie ends.

 

 

 

Universal Pictures

 

Gadot’s return wasn’t a last-minute addition. It’s been in the works for a while.

“Obviously it’s not just a phone call of like, ‘Would you like to come in?’ It’s proper storytelling planning, something that has been thought of for years,” “Fast X” director Louis Leterrier told Insider over Zoom earlier this month of Gadot’s surprise cameo.

If you need a refresher on when we last saw Gisele in the franchise, how she may have survived, and what her return means for the saga, we have you covered.

How Gisele ‘died’ in ‘Fast 6’ 

 

 

 

Universal Pictures

 

Gisele presumably died near the end of “Fast 6” sacrificing herself to protect Han, the love of her life.

During a chase sequence on a seemingly endless airport runway, Gisele pushed off a moving car to shoot at a man targeting Han.

The last time we saw her, Gisele slowly fell towards the runway toward her presumed death.

It always felt like Gisele could return to the franchise one day.

Though the crew grieved her death, Gisele’s body was never seen on-screen and, despite falling from a moving vehicle, the height she fell from in “Fast 6” didn’t seem lethal. The cars were pretty close to the ground in the final act.

How Gisele may be alive: Mr. Nobody

 

 

 

Universal Pictures

 

“Fast X” doesn’t offer up an explanation for how Gisele survived the events of “Fast 6,” but we may already have the answer.

In 2021’s “Fast 9,” we learned Gisele used to work for Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell) back when he was a CIA operative.

As a result, Mr. Nobody poached Han to work for him after her death in “Fast 6.”

He subsequently faked Han’s death, which is first seen in 2006’s “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.” (If that’s confusing, you can read a breakdown here.)

One line of dialogue in “Fast 9” appeared to hint this wasn’t the first time Mr. Nobody faked someone’s death.

When we see how Mr. Nobody faked Han’s death, Han says: “Pretty nifty magic trick.”

Mr. Nobody replies: “Yeah, I’ve done better.”

 

 

Universal Pictures

 

Was faking Gisele’s death the “better” magic trick Mr. Nobody referenced?

If that’s the case, it’s pretty messed up Mr. Nobody would keep that intel from Han.

We wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Nobody’s currently with Gisele in Antarctica. He’s been conveniently missing from the “Fast” franchise since his plane crashed at the start of “Fast 9.”

In “Fast X,” no one knows his location.

It’s worth noting that at the film’s end, Cipher doesn’t seem surprised to see Gisele. It’s possible she may have had a hand in keeping her hidden.

Bringing Gisele back could help deliver ‘Justice for Han’

 

 

Universal

 

In 2021, Kang told Insider they needed Gisele back in the franchise not only because it was what fans wanted, but because it may help deliver, what’s been dubbed, “Justice For Han.”

Franchise director Justin Lin previously told Insider that Han likely would have stayed dead if the character’s murderer, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), didn’t show up to a “Fast” fam get-together in 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious” (aka “Fast 8”) where he was chummy with Dom without addressing Han.

It felt disrespectful to Han’s memory.

“I think in ‘8,’ fans were questioning, ‘Why would the person who killed the beloved family member be accepted into the family circle?” Kang told Insider over Zoom in May after screening “Fast X.” “This explains it.”

Not really.

Despite a short, odd fight scene between Han and Deckard in “Fast X,” which results in the two teaming up against a common enemy, justice doesn’t feel earned in the latest sequel, and, if anything, feels largely dismissed.

 

 

Universal Pictures

 

If fans feel dissatisfied with the short Deckard/Han scene, Leterrier, who will return to direct the film’s sequel, told Insider, “‘Justice for Han,’ I don’t think it’s one scene. I think it’s a full story arc… That’s just the beginning.”

Leterrier agreed Gisele’s return “could also be part of that ‘Justice for Han’ story.”

Despite his fate currently hanging in the balance, Kang appeared to hint a reunion between Han and Gisele is inevitable.

“Is the ‘Justice for Han’ to find his lost love again? Is that the justice? And does he deserve it? Has he earned it?” Kang told Insider. “In a way, he probably walks around with guilt that he’s the one that should have died, not Gisele.”

“One of the most beautiful and long-living love stories in the franchise is between Dom and Letty. And I think in ‘Fast X’ you see and you feel how authentic the love for those two characters are for each other,” Kang added. “I look forward to that happening with Han and Gisele.”