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Jun 26, 2021 · Nobody truly stays dead in the Fast Saga and thanks to Roman's big revelation in Fast 9, we have a pretty clear idea why. It's because the whole Fast & Furious crew are invincible immortals.
- 10 min
- Is Brian O'Conner in F9?
- Is Brian O’Conner in Fast 9?
- Fast 9 Mid-Credits Scene: Justice for Han (Sorta)
By Jim Vejvoda
Updated: Jun 26, 2021 5:14 pm
Posted: Jun 26, 2021 1:00 am
Full spoilers ahead for Fast 9.
Fast 9 director Justin Lin has confirmed that Brian O’Conner is still alive in the Fast universe. When Paul Walker died in 2013, Furious 7 had not yet completed filming so the movie was overhauled to essentially write his character out of the series going forward. At the end of Furious 7, Brian and his girlfriend Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) flee the outlaw life in order to raise their children in safety. And while the specter of Walker looms over the subsequent Fast & Furious films, and Brian and Mia have been mentioned, the series avoided directly bringing Brian back … until the very last scene of Fast 9.
In Fast 9, Mia rejoins Dom and the crew to track down and stop their renegade agent brother, Jakob Toretto (John Cena). Mia tells Dom that Brian is looking after his namesake, Dom’s toddler son Brian, and their own kids while she’s on this mission. The crew eventually succeeds in thwarting the latest deadly machinations of Charlize Theron’s Cipher, who survives to hack another day, with help from a betrayed Jakob, whose heel-face turn to the good side is a staple of the franchise’s antagonists (see Deckard Shaw, but more on him in a bit).
With their mission complete and Roman and Tej now back from outer space (!!), the crew convenes for a family dinner at Dom’s home in L.A. There's an empty chair with Mia telling Dom that its occupant is on their way but running late. That’s when the scene cuts to a familiar blue car, a Nissan Skyline driven by Brian in past movies, pulling into the driveway before cutting to black. While we never see the driver, the implication is clear: Brian O‘Conner is back with his family.
It’s a bittersweet moment that allows fans of the franchise to imagine seeing Brian reunite with his loved ones without using any stand-ins or digital effects to actually show Paul Walker.
Following the aforementioned Brian O’Conner nod, there is a mid-credits scene that delivers on the fan campaign #JusticeForHan … but maybe not to the extent that some fans would like.
Fast 9 reveals how and why Han Lue survived being “killed” by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) in the mid-credits scene of Fast & Furious 6 (well, technically in Tokyo Drift but retconned to have been at the hands of Shaw). While Shaw was certainly out to kill Han, it turns out Han’s actual fiery demise was all staged using technical wizardry by Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell), who had recruited Han to work for his covert ops agency. Faking his death allowed Han to stay in Tokyo and protect Elle (Anna Sawai) from those who want her DNA to unlock Project Ares.
In the years since Han’s “death,” the Fast franchise redeemed Deckard Shaw, even turning him into a quippy antihero who partnered with Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs in their own 2019 spin-off movie. Needless to say, Fast & Furious not only redeeming but elevating the man who ruthlessly murdered Han, one of the series’ good guys, never quite sat right with many fans, and the “Justice for Han” social media campaign was born. Even Jason Statham said Han deserves justice.
Once it was revealed that Han would indeed return from “the dead” in Fast 9, the speculation has been not only on how the movie would explain that but also whether Han would get his revenge on Shaw. The mid-credits scene of Fast 9 teases the latter … but nothing more.
In the mid-credits scene, a hooded kickboxer is seen pummeling a punching bag. It’s Deckard Shaw, who then zips open the bag to reveal a prisoner inside. (The man is part of a criminal operation involving tech.) Shaw zips the bag back up to answer the door. And when he opens it, a very alive and well Han is standing there. The mid-credits scene ends on Shaw’s shocked face.
We don’t know whether Han and Shaw then fought each other or if Han simply explained everything to him. Presumably, the Fast crew or perhaps Mr. Nobody explained to Han how Shaw had proven himself an ally in the ensuing years so no harm, no foul. But still … Shaw left him to die in a fiery wreck! Whether fans will truly see Han bring justice to Shaw in a future film or even in a Hobbs & Shaw sequel remains to be seen.
Jun 26, 2021 · Fast 9 reveals how and why Han Lue survived being “killed” by Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) in the mid-credits scene of Fast & Furious 6 (well, technically in Tokyo Drift but retconned to have...
Jan 31, 2020 · Sadly, the tragic real life death of Paul Walker means O'Conner is no longer part of the franchise, which makes Mia's return without him all the more interesting. Since she was not featured in Fate of the Furious, it will be up to F9 to explain her return to the crew and the absence of Brian.
- Theatrical Movies Editor
Jun 25, 2021 · Let's break down the ending of F9, including what happens and how it's leading toward the end of the Fast and Furious saga.
Jun 25, 2021 · Fast and Furious 9 ending explained: Who is that at the end? Let's start right at the end though and that surprise return. No, not the return of Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) in the credits...
Jun 24, 2021 · The mid-credits scene features a hooded man beating a punching bag in what appears to be an underground location. The hooded man is soon revealed to be Deckard Shaw ( Jason Statham ), last seen...
