Michelle Rodriguez is ready to step out of the driver’s seat for the “Fast and Furious” franchise.
The “Fast X” star said that despite the slew of spinoffs in the works from co-star and producer Vin Diesel, she will not be taking a lead role.
“You pass the baton on. You take the back seat,” Rodriguez told Variety on the red carpet for the Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project Block Party. “You go passenger side. When it [be]comes the next generation, you have to. It’s the only way to let them define the future.”
Diesel confirmed multiple spinoffs are being discussed, including the long-awaited female-fronted standalone film.
“I started developing the female spinoff in 2017 with other spinoffs, and the sooner I deliver the finale, the sooner I can launch all the spinoffs,” Diesel said, citing the two-part franchise ending…for now.
Diesel previously teased a possible 12th film at the “Fast X” premiere, saying that Universal asked him to make “‘Fast X: The Finale’ a trilogy.”
Now, Diesel is putting the comment in reverse gear.
“Look how many characters and great talent there is in the movie. There was no way I can pull that off unless I had everyone on for five seconds,” Diesel told Variety. “These characters are appealing and we need to see more of them…It’s bittersweet to think of a finale.”
Diesel also addressed the fact that Gal Gadot’s past cameos were cut from former franchise installments; both Gadot and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson reprise their respective roles for “Fast X” appearances.
“We have shot other things a long time ago that might not have fit that specific movie as a finale,” Diesel said of Gadot’s past work. “Doing tags is a very tricky thing because you want your great talent but at the same time you have to be very careful to maintain the emotional state of your audience at the end of the movie. So that’s what you’re juggling.”
He added of the “Fast X” cameos, “I’m so excited to have them back home and even more excited to see fan reactions and to see how happy it makes people.”
