What if Vin Diesel didn’t join Fast & Furious again?
Here is what may have occurred if Vin Diesel had never returned to the Fast & Furious series, despite the popularity of the first film. Even though it’s difficult to envision the Fast & Furious series without Dom Toretto, Diesel opted to focus on The Chronicles of Riddick when talk of a Fast & Furious sequel initially surfaced. Despite recording an uncredited appearance in The Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift, he was noticeably missing from both 2 Fast 2 Furious and those films.
Vin Diesel eventually rejoined the Fast & Furious series after being given greater creative freedom. After both 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift received poor reviews, Universal Pictures gave Diesel the option to produce the screenplays, opening the way for the family-friendly action extravaganza that is now the Fast & Furious series.
Fast & Furious, which Diesel made while in the driver’s seat, is probably the actual sequel to the first film, and he is continuing to create a world with heart, fast vehicles, and more ridiculous action. Nevertheless, if Diesel had choose to remain away, this is what may have occurred.
There would be less trouble for Toretto’s family.
While Toretto may wax poetic about protecting his family, the truth is that he often gets them into difficulty. In Fast & Furious, his relentless pursuit of Letty Ortiz’s (Michelle Rodriguez) murderer leads to both his own imprisonment and the re-entry of Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) into the criminal underworld.
As a consequence, Toretto’s family members were involved in the jail escape, which was organised by O’Conner and his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster). In Fast Five, all three of them are again on the lam. Dom is directly to blame for almost murdering Owen Shaw (Luke Evans) later in the series, which sets off the events of Furious 7 when Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) pursues retribution on Dom’s group.
Later, in The Fate of the Furious, Dom’s connection to Cipher (Charlize Theron) leads to the kidnapping of Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky) and his own son, and in F9, Dom’s tumultuous relationship with his brother Jakob (John Cena) brings a squad that had been inactive back into the fray.
The events of Fast X, which are wildly speculated to entail time travel, will very surely be triggered by anything having to do with Dom, even if there is peace at the conclusion of the most recent movie. It is also improbable that whatever is triggered will be anything positive. Without Diesel, Dom would not exist, and without Dom, the other members of the Fast & Furious cast could have been left alone.
The Fast & Furious doesn’t include Jason Statham
Dom Toretto would never have looked for Letty if Vin Diesel had never come back. If Dom hadn’t played a part in witnessing Owen Shaw thrown from a speeding aircraft, Letty’s backstory involving Luke Shaw would never have happened.
In order for Owen Shaw’s brother to exist and seek retribution, a series of events had to take place. Deckard Shaw may never have ever been seen by an audience, therefore cutting Jason Statham out of the series. The renowned British actor entered the Fast & Furious series as the lead role with a swagger that suggested it was designed just for him. Diesel may have prevented this from happening.
Michelle Rodriguez declined to come back.
Diesel’s goal of reintroducing heart to the franchise after Tokyo Drift was a success and his steadfast call for “family” are deeply ingrained in the series. It’s virtually clear that while writing the fourth movie’s screenplay, Diesel’s nostalgia led him to rehire the original cast.
Letty Ortiz comes first on that list. Both 2 Fast 2 Furious and Tokyo Drift lacked Ortiz, Toretto’s future wife and first love interest. While Diesel has continuously supported Rodriguez in his criticism of the series, Letty has always been the driving force behind Toretto. Without Diesel’s contribution to the franchise’s development, it’s doubtful that viewers would have seen her again.