In terms of the storyline, this decision could leave fans hanging, as “Fast X” does not conclude the overarching narrative, particularly concerning the character Dante Reyes, played by Jason Momoa. However, it’s worth noting that the 2023 release was perhaps the appropriate conclusion for the franchise, if not sooner. How many series boast ten installments, not counting spin-offs like “Hobbs & Shaw” and even an animated series?

While it’s easy to dismiss “Fast & Furious” as nothing more than loud, flashy entertainment, the series has arguably lost its charm. So, let’s delve into why this franchise might have benefited from hitting the brakes after “Fast X.”

In earlier years, movie enthusiasts humorously speculated about how far the “Fast & Furious” series could stretch its limits. There were jokes about Vin Diesel’s character, Dom Toretto, and his team racing against dinosaurs in a “Jurassic Park” crossover or venturing into space. In the 2021 film “F9,” the latter actually happened when Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej Parker (Ludacris) left Earth’s atmosphere in a creatively modified car.

Years ago, movie fans used to debate how far the “Fast & Furious” franchise would go. Chuckles erupted as people pondered the ridiculous possibilities. Two popular “theories” were that Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto and his crew would race against velociraptors in a “Jurassic Park” crossover, or they would go to space. The latter happened in 2021’s “F9,” as Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson) and Tej Parker (Ludacris) left the Earth’s atmosphere in a modified car.

While the scene elicited major reactions for the fact that the franchise finally went into space, it also symbolized the exact moment when it became impossible to suspend any disbelief with these movies. Universal Pictures executive Donna Langley actually apologized for it at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. “I’m sorry we sent them into space,” Langley said. “We can never get that genie back.”

It’s the truth, because how do you top that? It’s all gone too far into the fantasy realm, marking a stark departure from what made 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious” a hit to begin with: The street racing culture of Los Angeles. Yes, Diesel has made claims that “Fast X: Part 2” will be a return to the roots of the original movie, but it’s too late now. To paraphrase Langley, the genie is out of the bottle.

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the movie industry forever, and the “Fast & Furious” franchise wasn’t left unscathed either, as the box office haul for “Fast X” disappointed with only $714.4 million. For any other film, this would be a big-enough victory for executives to make snow angels in the piles of cash, but considering that “Fast X” cost a reported $340 million to produce, the expectations were sky-high here. It was also didn’t help that it was the lowest-grossing “F&F” movie since 2011’s “Fast Five,” but the one with the highest production budget. However, the signs were already there that the franchise’s billion-dollar glory days were in the past.

The last film in the series to hit the $1 billion mark was 2017’s “The Fate of the Furious.” Since then the decline has been evident. In 2019, “Hobbs & Shaw” made $760.7 million, while 2021’s “F9” made $719.4 million and “Fast X” made five million dollars less than its predecessor.

For Universal Pictures, it’s become clear that the name of “Fast & Furious” alone doesn’t mean what it used to. Yeah, it still makes a lot of money — and “Fast X: Part 2” would likely bring in many hundreds of millions of dollars — but the film business is about economics. If a franchise brings in less money, the studio can’t keep increasing the production budgets for the movies.

The ending of “Fast X” features the return of Dwayne Johnson’s Luke Hobbs to the series. There had been highly publicized beef between Johnson and Vin Diesel in the past, resulting in Johnson stepping away from the main “Fast & Furious” movies, but the actors appear to have buried the hatchet. Now, logic would dictate that Hobbs would be locked in for “Fast X: Part 2” and ready to duke it out with Dante Reyes, but that might have been the case in 2023 — not now.

Johnson wants to establish himself as a more serious actor through films like Benny Safdie’s “The Smashing Machine.” At the Venice International Film Festival, the actor spoke about being “pigeonholed” in the past and wanting to branch out. “I looked around a few years ago and I started to think, you know, am I living my dream or am I living other people’s dreams?” Johnson said (via Variety).

Consequently, Johnson may not want to return for “Fast X: Part 2.” If Johnson is adamant about wanting to be seen as more than an action star, it’s highly likely that he’ll avoid the action genre for a couple of years at the very least. But will the “Fast & Furious” franchise wait for him? Unlikely.

A major part of the reason for the success of the “Fast & Furious” is Vin Diesel. The first film came around at the perfect time, as the actor exploded in Hollywood, thanks to the likes of “xXx,” “Pitch Black,” and “The Fast and the Furious,” of course. Subsequently, the high-octane franchise was built around him and Paul Walker, who played Brian O’Conner in the films. Even after the death of Walker, Diesel continued the story, while still paying tribute to Walker and his character.

Yet, the Vin Diesel of the early 2000s isn’t the Vin Diesel of today. While he remains known as a public figure, his projects aren’t exactly lighting the world on fire — bar his voicing of Groot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but we can debate if that’s down to Diesel saying the same three words over and over again, or the universal appeal of the character. In 2020, “Bloodshot” flopped at the box office and received a critical beatdown, while the news that “The Last Witch Hunter” is getting a sequel delighted all five fans of the original movie.

The bottom line is people aren’t showing up to see movies because Diesel is in them anymore. While he’ll eternally be tied to “Fast & Furious,” maybe it’s time to realize that this franchise is out of gas, and not even Diesel can get it chugging along again.

Ultimately, the big question needs to be asked here: Is anyone clamoring for another “Fast & Furious” movie right now? The franchise has its supporters, but it has also been highly prolific, to put it mildly. Perhaps it’s a classic case of the old adage: How can anyone miss you if you’re never gone?

After going to space, introducing long-lost brothers, fighting villains who feel out of sci-fi movies, and reviving characters that were once thought to be dead, the “Fast & Furious” has provided a lot for fans to chew on. “Fast X” felt like the culmination of all the loudness and outrageousness. It’s also the perfect place to stop — or hit the pause button, because no franchise ever stays dead in Hollywood. Let Dom Toretto and his family go away on a nice long vacation and allow the audience to forget about them for a while. Maybe then when they return, it’ll be all gas, no brakes — and the viewers will be strapped in for the ride again.