When the first Fast & Furious 9 trailer dropped last year, man fans were shocked, surprised, and ultimately excited to see that Sung Kang's Han Lue, who was thought to have been killed during the events of Tokyo Drift/Furious 7, was still very much alive. The return came years after the #JusticeForHan movement was started by fans who were none too happy that Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw was warmly welcomed by Dom (Vin Diesel) and his crew at the end of The Fate of the Furious considering he was responsible for Han's death. Shaw was a villain who became a bit of a reluctant hero, even though he took out a member of their family. Even though we don't know how Han survived, or if it will make sense, fans are happy to have him back and Sung Kang is sharing his personal thoughts on the #JusticeForHan campaign that likely led to his return.
Fast & Furious 9 director Justin Lin was adamant that Kang's Han had to return and he even promoted the #JusticeForHan movement himself. During a char with "Empire", Kang spoke on what the movement meant to him:
"The whole #JusticeForHan thing – it made me think, ‘Wow, there are actually people that appreciate the work I did as an actor.’ In my own Hollywood struggle as an Asian-American, in your darkest hours, you go, ‘Wow, there are actually people from all over the world that appreciate what I did with that character.’"
Sung Kang's Han Lue really did become a fan favorite after Tokyo Drift. That film has grown on me over the years but when I initially saw the movie not much stood out except for Kang who I thought exhibited his fair share of charisma and screen presence in the role. Clearly, they thought he has something because they messed with the timeline of the franchise a bit to make sense of bringing him back in the fourth, fifth and sixth installments before making us realize that his fate in Tokyo Drift, which took place in Furious 7, was after the events of those films even though Tokyo Drift was the third entry.
Justin Lin also ties the character, interestingly, to his 2002 breakthrough effort, Better Luck Tomorrow. Kang appears in that film and both he and Lin ultimately decided that his character in Better Luck Tomorrow is the same character that would go on to appear in the various Fast sequels. This means the character means a lot to both of these men but the #JusticeForHan movement made Kang realize that fans were passionate about the character as well.
Are YOU happy that Sung Kang is back as Han? Fast & Furious 9 hits screens on June 25, 2021.