Why Han & Deckard Shaw Are Working Together In Fast X

The F9 post-credits scene teased conflict between Sung Kang’s Han and Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, but the characters appear to be working together in Fast X. The tenth and penultimate entry in the mainline Fast and Furious franchise sees Jason Momoa’s Dante attempt to take revenge on Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, for the death of drug kingpin Hernan Reyes in 2011’s Fast Five. Dante will team up with The Fate of the Furious antagonist Cipher in his efforts to avenge Reyes.
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Expert drifter and family member Han was seemingly killed during the events of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, with his supposed killer revealed to be Deckard Shaw in Fast & Furious 6. However, Han was revealed to be alive in F9, having spent the last five years living in Tokyo. Deckard Shaw attacked Han in revenge for his brother’s hospitalization. The F9 post-credits scene saw the two characters come face-to-face for the first time, with Han seemingly ready to get revenge on Shaw for his supposed death. However, it seems that the two characters will be working together in Fast X.Related: Why The Fast & Furious Franchise Is Ending (& When It Will)

Han & Shaw Are Technically On The Same Team In Fast X

Han and Deckard Shaw’s conflict seems to be quashed by the time of Fast X, as the film’s trailer shows them teaming up. A larger threat, in the form of Jason Momoa’s Dante, may have led to the pair’s decision to put their differences aside, as they are both members of the family. Deckard Shaw was forgiven by Dom after saving his son from Cipher at the end of The Fate of the Furious, while Han was shown to already be a member in 2009’s Fast & Furious.

The threat of Dante towards the family places Han and Deckard Shaw on the same side for the first time. Deckard only learned of Han’s survival in the post-credits scene of F9, when the former opened the door on the latter. Although it seemed that Han’s sudden reappearance would place the two into immediate conflict, the trailer for Fast X proves that this is not the case. The Fast and Furious franchise has a knack for redeeming its previous antagonists, and Deckard Shaw is no exception.

Will Han Ever Get His Revenge On Deckard Shaw?

Given the witty rapport the duo has in Fast X’s trailer, it seems unlikely that Han will seek revenge on Deckard Shaw for his attack. Shaw redeemed himself through saving Brian Toretto’s life in The Fate of the Furious, and it would be extremely out of character for Han to murder anyone, especially one within the family. Han is known, on top of his driving expertise, for his ability to blend in. Dom Toretto has even previously described him as a “chameleon.” When Han is forced into combat, he fights in self-defense rather than simply outright attacking someone.

Han’s actor, Sung Kang, has described his Fast and Furious character as a “lover… not a fighter” so it seems that an outright duel between the two characters is extremely unlikely. However, the justice that many Fast and Furious campaigns have clamored for may instead arrive in the form of Deckard Shaw’s further redemption. Given that the two characters can be seen working together in the Fast X trailer, Deckard Shaw may get the opportunity to save Han’s life, absolving the former of attempting to kill the latter in Fast & Furious 6.

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