Fast X Included Franchise-Changing Dom & Dante Twist Before Director Exit

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More information has come to light about the original plan for Fast X before director Justin Lin left the project. Lin, who directed five previous Fast & Furious films, unexpectedly departed the tenth movie shortly after filming began in 2022. The reason was disagreements with Vin Diesel, who also stars in and produces the franchise, over the film’s creative direction. Lin reportedly intended a major plot twist involving the character of Dominic Toretto.

A new book reveals that director Justin Lin originally planned a major surprise for Fast X before he stepped down. According to Barry Hertz’s “Welcome To The Family,” Lin’s initial idea was to reveal that Jason Momoa’s character, Dante Reyes, was the father of Little Brian, rather than Dom’s son. This plot point was changed when Louis Leterrier took over as director and significantly rewrote the film.

The chapter about how Fast X was made shares a surprising plot twist that was considered, and explains disagreements between the movie’s main creative team.

The script and how the movie ended caused a lot of disagreement. The plan always included a cliffhanger for Fast X, but early versions of the script featured a shocking twist: Dante being Little Brian’s biological father. Some on the filmmaking team believed this reveal would be a powerfully dark way for Dom to confront the importance of family, forcing him to risk everything for a child who wasn’t his own – but the son of his greatest enemy. However, Vin Diesel and others disagreed with this direction.

Brian’s significance in the Fast & Furious series began with The Fate of the Furious. It was revealed that Elena Neves, Dom’s previous love interest, had secretly been raising Dom’s son after the events of Furious 7. When Cipher kills Elena, Dom becomes a dedicated father to his son, who is named Brian.

While we saw more of Brian’s son as a child in F9, it was Fast X that really focused on Dom and Elena’s son. A major part of the story involves protecting him from the villain, Dante. Ultimately, Dante, played by Jason Momoa, wants to kill Dom’s son to get revenge for Dom killing his father back in Fast Five.

The story could have taken a very different turn if the director, Lin, hadn’t left. Instead of Dom risking everything to protect his son, he would have been protecting a child he unexpectedly discovers isn’t his. However, when Lin left, this plot twist was dropped, and the filmmakers went with Dom simply protecting his biological son.

It’s understandable why Diesel and others disliked the reveal in Fast X. It could have negatively impacted Dom’s character arc over the past films, potentially upsetting fans with such a major change to established story elements. This reveal would also alter the dynamics of Dom’s relationships with both Elena and his ‘son’.

This plot point could have actually strengthened the core ideas of the Fast & Furious series. These movies are fundamentally about family – and cars. While blood relatives, like the Toretto family, are important, the films also heavily emphasize the importance of chosen family. Characters like Roman, Tej, and Ramsey are all considered part of Dom’s family, despite not being related by blood.

Continuing the storyline where Dom’s supposed son isn’t biologically his would be a powerful move. It would give Dom the opportunity to choose to love the child based on their connection, not blood relation. Although Fast X didn’t explore this twist, it could still happen in Fast 11 if Vin Diesel decides to go that route.

The new book, “Welcome To The Family: The Explosive Story Behind Fast & Furious,” which tells the story of the hugely successful Fast & Furious movie franchise, is now available.

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2025-11-26 22:01