The Secret Fast & Furious Prequel Movie Gave The Franchise One Of Its Best Characters

A secret prequel movie was actually how the Fast & Furious franchise debuted one of its strongest characters. The chronological order of the Fast & Furious movies has been admittedly difficult to track for a while. Some of the best-ranked Fast & Furious movies, like Fast Five, for example, have a unique place on the timeline of the franchise. Fast Five and its predecessor, Fast & Furious, were the fifth and fourth installments in the franchise respectively, when concerning release order. However, they took place before the third released film, Tokyo Drift, chronologically.

Once the franchise reached 2017’s The Fate of the Furious, the timeline went beyond Tokyo Drift for the first time. F9 and Fast X, as well as the upcoming story of Fast 11, continued this, yet Tokyo Drift can still be counted as a turning point in the franchise. This can be said due to its centrality to Fast & Furous‘ timeline, but also the introduction of some of the series’ best characters. Although many may assume one such character made his debut in the 2006 movie, it actually came in a secret Fast & Furious prequel, four years earlier.

Director Justin Lin Considers Better Luck Tomorrow To Be A Tokyo Drift Prequel

The 2002 Film Is Considered As A Certain Character’s Origin Story

The Fast & Furious character in question is Han Lue, played by Sung Kang. Han’s first appearance in the mainline Fast & Furious films came in 2006’s Tokyo Drift, yet this is not his official debut in the franchise. The reason for this is a subsequent retcon implemented by franchise director Justin Lin. Before working on Fast & Furious together, Lin and Kang worked together on the 2002 film, Better Luck Tomorrow, which explores Asian-American overachiever characters who begin to get involved in petty crime.

Kang played the character of Han in Better Luck Tomorrow, four years before Tokyo Drift. Upon signing on to direct the latter film, Lin realized that he wanted Kang to be part of the project, but that he wanted more than just the actor. Lin also wanted Han from Better Luck Tomorrow to be the focus of Tokyo Drift and made his dream a reality. Since then, Lin has often commented that Better Luck Tomorrow is essentially a prequel to Han’s first appearance in the Fast & Furious franchise, which chronologically is Fast Five.

While Better Luck Tomorrow is not focused on street racing, many aspects of Kang’s roles line up. In Better Luck Tomorrow, Han is a serial smoker and a quieter, more silent character archetype than his peers. Han is depicted as such in the Fast & Furious films, with Gal Gadot’s Gisele even stating that he eats so many chips as he was a former smoker and needs to keep his hands busy.

Han Stole The Show In Tokyo Drift (And Fast & Furious Could Never Let Him Go)

Han Became An Instant Fan-Favorite

After his appearance in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Han was solidified as one of the franchise’s best characters. Audiences fell in love with Han’s calm, collected, quiet, suave demeanor, with the direction the franchise has taken since then proving just how much this is true. Despite Han’s “death” in Tokyo Drift, he was brought back for the film’s prequels – Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6. When the franchise chronologically caught up to Tokyo Drift, it was shockingly revealed that Han did not pass away at all and instead faked his death.

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This allowed Han to appear in further Fast & Furious movies, including F9, Fast X, and the upcoming Fast 11. Evidently, the franchise has refused to let go of Han. Fast & Furious knows just how beloved the character is and continuously brings him back for more adventures, proving just how much Han stole the show in Tokyo Drift and the many installments he has appeared in since then.

Justin Lin & Sung Kang Have Come A Long Way Since Better Luck Tomorrow

Both Are Now Big Hollywood Names

Since Better Luck Tomorrow, it cannot be denied how far Justin Lin and Sung Kang have come. The latter is a big part of the still-ongoing Fast & Furious franchise and has appeared in huge TV projects like Power and Obi-Wan Kenobi​​​​​​. Justin Lin was a big part of Kang’s Fast & Furious journey also, as pointed out by the aforementioned films that the former has directed in the franchise.

Moreover, Lin has had his name attached to some major Hollywood productions. Lin directed the third installment in the rebooted Star Trek series, Star Trek Beyond, which received critical acclaim. Lin was also credited as an executive producer of Space Jam: A New Legacy. Overall, the duo have traveled far in their respective careers in the two decades since Better Luck Tomorrow, a fact that is more evident than ever when looking at their continued successes in the Fast & Furious franchise.

Fast & Furious

Movie(s)

The Fast And The Furious, 2 Fast 2 Furious, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five, Fast & Furious 6, Furious 7, The Fate of the Furious, Hobbs and Shaw, F9: The Fast Saga, Fast X, Hobbs and Shaw 2, Fast X: Part 2

Cast

Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Eva Mendes, Lucas Black, Sung Kang, Bow Wow, Jordana Brewster, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, Idris Elba, John Cena

Video Game(s)

The Fast and the Furious (2004), The Fast and the Furious (2006), Fast & Furious: SuperCars, Fast & Furious: Showdown, Forza Horizon 2 Presents Fast & Furious, Fast & Furious Crossroads

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