The Fast & Furious franchise, which began with The Fast and the Furious in 2001, has been beloved and continues to dominate under the top 10 franchises. The film centers around high-stakes street racing, heists, and family dynamics. One of its most iconic characters, Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, is one of the longest-running characters, and he is loved for his skilled street racing skills. Throughout the series, Toretto evolves from a street racer into a leader who values family above all. While he became a central character, his absence was felt in some sequels, which created a void among fans.
Diesel wasn’t a well-known actor before his stint in Fast & Furious. However, the movies and his role as Dominic Toretto gave his career a kickstart, and since then, he has been a renowned actor in the Hollywood industry. Following the film’s success, the franchise has gotten bigger and has released ten chapters, with the last one arriving soon. With every movie sequel, the budgets got more significant. Fast & the Furious has shifted its focus towards high-octane stunts and impressive visuals, moving away from the more character-driven grounded narratives like in the early movies. This change in style has significantly altered many of the saga’s best characters, particularly Dominic Toretto.
When Dominic Toretto was first introduced in The Fast and the Furious, his personality was portrayed as a troublemaker with a complex backstory. He was a troubled and unpredictable character, which made him enjoyable. However, he is shown entirely differently in the sequel movies. While watching the Fast and Furious movies in order, Toretto’s backstory is entirely written out of the franchise as the creators didn’t want to show him as the bad guy.
Dominic Toretto was absent in 2 Fast 2 Furious and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, and by the time he returns, he’s an entirely different character. In his absence, the character undergoes a dramatic shift, abandoning his criminal roots to become a hero as he delivers speeches about justice and taking down enemies. His transformation is attributed to Letty’s supposed death, which pushes him to act more responsibly, but instead of avoiding conflict, he simply fights on the side of the law. This change feels forced, with moments in Fast & Furious designed to make his transition into a hero seem more intentional.
Additionally, his evolution from a criminal to an action hero often feels one-dimensional and less attractive. Although the storytelling improved with every sequel, the character work didn’t do well. The dynamic between Dom and Brian made the first Fast & Furious film compelling, but that’s lost when Dom becomes an actionable hero. Unfortunately, it’s too late to return the original Dom, as Fast 11 will be the final chapter to give the best conclusion to the billion-dollar franchise.
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