Sung Kang on his surprising return to the Fast & Furious franchise

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

The recently released trailer for FAST & FURIOUS 9 contained more than a few surprises, but none more so than the last second reveal that Han Lue is apparently alive and well. Sung Kang first played the role in THE FAST AND THE FURIOUS: TOKYO DRIFT and was actually killed off in that film, but the character proved to be so popular that they played around with the timeline to allow Han to take part in FAST & FURIOUS, FAST FIVE, and FAST & FURIOUS 6 before they recreated Han's death and revealed that Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) was the one behind it. Clearly, Han wasn't quite as dead as we were lead to believe.

Sung Kang spoke with The LA Times ahead of the surprise reveal, saying that his return was "emotional — it feels like I’m going back to a family reunion. It’s a relationship that has been missing in my life since the last 'Fast.'" In the films which followed, Deckard Shaw was seemingly forgiven for the murder of Han, even taking on a leading role in the first FAST & FURIOUS spinoff, HOBBS & SHAW. This sparked a Justice For Han movement, which Sung Kang initially dismissed.

At first it was easy to dismiss it. I wondered, does the audience really have a voice? When Shaw came in and was revealed to be the killer and got invited into the family fold … that’s where you went, ‘Well, is this character being respected?’

As far as how Han has returned for F9, Sung Kang obviously wouldn't say, only to tease that everything ties back into the franchise's theme of "family" and that "I hope we do it justice."

The official synopsis for F9:

Vin Diesel’s Dom Toretto is leading a quiet life off the grid with Letty and his son, little Brian, but they know that danger always lurks just over their peaceful horizon. This time, that threat will force Dom to confront the sins of his past if he’s going to save those he loves most. His crew joins together to stop a world-shattering plot led by the most skilled assassin and high-performance driver they’ve ever encountered: a man who also happens to be Dom’s forsaken brother, Jakob (John Cena). F9 sees the return of Justin Lin as director, who helmed the third, fourth, fifth and sixth chapters of the series when it transformed into a global blockbuster. The action hurtles around the globe—from London to Tokyo, from Central America to Edinburgh, and from a secret bunker in Azerbaijan to the teeming streets of Tblisi. Along the way, old friends will be resurrected, old foes will return, history will be rewritten, and the true meaning of family will be tested like never before.

F9 will hit theaters on May 22, 2020.