Fast X Fails Jordana Brewster’s Mia After Redeeming The Character In F9

The Fast Saga has a history of underusing some characters, but Fast X utterly failed Jordana Brewster’s Mia Toretto after doing so much to redeem the character in F9. Aside from Vin Diesel and Michelle Rodriguez, Brewster is the only other actor who has remained a crucial member of the “Fast Family” since the franchise launched in 2001. As the sister of Diesel’s Dominic Toretto, she was always involved in the conflict, but her role grew after becoming romantically involved with Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker). Even if Mia wasn’t directly involved in whatever Dom and his crew were up to, she and her kids had a target on their backs.

Following her introduction in 2001, Mia didn’t show up again until 2009’s Fast & Furious, but it was a relatively minor role. Brewster was crucial to Fast Five‘s plot in helping the team’s vault heist in Rio de Janeiro. However, in Fast & Furious 6, Mia was restricted to being a kidnapping victim while she sat out of Furious 7‘s action and remained in a safe house. Being pushed to the sidelines resulted in Brewster being outspoken about the disappointment regarding Mia’s arc. It got to the point that co-star Michelle Rodriguez fought for Brewster, which helped Mia attain a more prominent part in F9 until Fast X ruined the progress.

Related

Every Fast & Furious Movie Ranked From Worst to Best

From B-movie roots to Fast X, here is every Fast and the Furious movie ranked from worst to best, through ridiculous stunts and family themes.

Fast X Went Back To Giving Mia A Very Limited Role After Her Important F9 Arc

Following a disappointing role in Furious 7, Mia wasn’t involved in The Fate of the Furious. At one point, Rodriguez threatened to leave the franchise if the female characters didn’t start getting expanded roles. That included Mia, who had been widely underused despite being a core character since the beginning. Rodriguez and Brewster’s fight paid off, considering Mia had a lot to do in F9. Not only did she join Letty on a mission to Japan, but she was pivotal in the conflict with her estranged brother, Jakob. In fact, Brewster was even given several thrilling fight scenes. Rather than build on F9, Fast X pushed Mia back to the sidelines.

Mia was present at the start of Fast X as the group came together for a family barbecue that included her grandmother. She was later babysitting Dom’s son Brian when members of the Agency ambushed the Toretto home. She protected Brian alongside Jakob, creating some exciting brother-sister fight scenes, but after that sequence, she went off to her own family, meaning she was absent for the rest of the movie. Ironically, Brewster shared this with the LA Times regarding her role, saying, “What I’ve been fighting the most for is to not be in the babysitting seat because that’s what’s frustrating.” Yet, Fast X put her right into that babysitter sideline.

How Jordana Brewster’s Role In Fast X Was Almost Worse

With Paul Walker no longer around due to his tragic death, it makes sense why the Fast & Furious franchise has found ways to keep Brian away from the central missions. Granted, F9 proved that Mia can still be involved while Brian is left offscreen. By forcing the character to return to Brian and the kids, Fast X made a lazy excuse to limit Brewster’s character again, especially when Dom was so focused on protecting his family from Dante. Sadly, Brewster’s role could have been worse in Fast X since Diesel confirmed Mia was originally cut in Fast X.

After fighting for an expanded role in F9, Fast X almost excluded Brewster and her character altogether. Diesel added that it was his own daughter who demanded Mia come back, proving that the franchise hadn’t learned from their previous mistakes with the character. Mia clearly means a lot to the franchise, and it’s unfortunate that her F9 redemption was ruined in the very next movie. Hopefully, Brewster will be pivotal in the conclusion of the series, whether that’s Fast & Furious 11 or the rumored twelfth film. An even better option would be to have Mia act as a central figure in Fast & Furious‘ all-female spinoff, which is long overdue.