Fast X introduced Dante Reyes, the most interesting bad guy in the franchise, but the movie still continued the series’ annoying villain trend. The 10th Fast & Furious movie is the first installment of an epic two-part finale to the series. Though Fast X saw many behind-the-scenes issues, for the most part, the 2023 release delivered what’s expected of the franchise. Fast X is full of gravity-and-logic-defying stunts, and Roman and Tej’s banter was in top form.
The Fast X cast also included a number of new Fast & Furious characters, most notably Dante Reyes, who injected some much-needed theatricality and excitement into the franchise. Dante is almost like the Fast & Furious series’ own Joker. While the character has a reason for hunting down Dom, he also seems to want to watch the world burn, and the scene of him painting his nails while acting like his dead employees’ are still alive is the absurd humor the franchise has been missing. However, while Fast X excelled with this main villain, the movie also succumbed to an annoying ongoing Fast & Furious trend.
Cipher’s Fast X Redemption Continued A Tiresome Fast & Furious Villain Trend
While Dante filled the main antagonist role in Fast X, another Fast & Furious villain returned in the movie: Cipher. However, this time, she is no longer a villain. So many Fast & Furious villains end up becoming allies with the family. Deckard Shaw was redeemed after supposedly killing Han. Jakob Toretto went from hunting Dom to saving his life and seeing the error of his ways all within the same movie. Even Hobbs was something of a nemesis in Fast Five, as he was essentially attempting to stop Dom and Brian even though he wasn’t an outright villain.
Nevertheless, while this is a common trend, Cipher joining the crew is the worst example of the problem. She literally threatened to murder Dom’s son and did kill his son’s mother, Elena. The villain was clearly a force to be reckoned with in Fate of the Furious, as she managed to manipulate Dom into working for her. In F9: The Fast Saga, Otto was so scared of Cipher that had her trapped in a glass cell. However, all that becomes undone in Fast X, as she literally turns up on Dom’s doorstep seeking help.
In Fast X, Cipher and Dom become allies and join forces against their common enemy, Dante. Given that Cipher was being built up as the Thanos-level franchise antagonist of Fast & Furious, the way she simply gives up and joins Dom is a huge disappointment, and it continues the irritating trend. However, Cipher is more like an antihero in Fast X, as she still fights Letty before they parley, and Cipher is clearly working with Letty because it benefits her. In that respect, there’s still a chance she could turn back into a villain, but given the series’ history, it’s unlikely.
How Dante Reyes Will Break Fast & Furious’ Redeemed Villain Trend
Dante could end the streak of major villains becoming heroes. Based on how sadistic and nefarious he is, it’s implausible that he’d join the Fast family. So far, Dante has caused the death of Jakob and put Dom’s son in danger, and it’s likely that the villain will become an even bigger threat in the upcoming Fast & Furious 11. As Dante’s objective to kill Dom and the crew ties back to Fast Five, since that movie’s villain was his father, Hernan Reyes, he is absolutely out for blood and won’t stop until Dom, Hobbs, and everyone else who stands in his way get their comeuppance.
Along with Dante being a genuine villain who likely won’t ever be redeemed, Fast X surprisingly subverted the annoying villain trend, too. Instead of a villain turning good, one of the heroes is revealed to be a villain. In Fast X, Aimes was a part of Mr. Nobody’s agency and worked closely with Dom and his team. However, it’s revealed in the final act of the movie that Aimes was essentially a double agent and was really working with Dante all along. Aimes was even with Dante during the events of Fast Five, which made for one of the most effective reveals in the Fast & Furious franchise.
