The New 'Fast and Furious 9' Trailer Teases Rocket Cars, Big Returns and a Fierce Sibling Rivalry

Given the Fast and Furious franchise's title, you'd think that driving speedily and passionately is what this big-budget film series is all about. Chaotic and OTT car antics play a hefty part, as the 2001 original, its seven sequels to-date and its 2019 spin-off have all shown via a constant onslaught of hectic stunts. But if there's one thing that this Vin Diesel-starring and -produced saga loves just as much as vehicular mayhem, it's family.

Over the years, Diesel's Dominic Toretto has extended the term 'family' to include not only his girlfriend-turned-wife Letty (Michelle Rodriguez), his sister Mia (Jordana Brewster), her husband Brian (the late Paul Walker) and their various offspring, but their extended motley crew of fast-driving pals as well. Dom talks about family rather often, usually over a few Coronas with said friends and family. The gang has even faced off against a family of adversaries, courtesy of brothers Owen and Deckard Shaw (Luke Evans and Jason Statham), and their mother Magdalene (Helen Mirren).

So, when it comes to Fast and Furious 9, it's unsurprising that the franchise is leaning heavily on one of its favourite concepts. Obviously eye-catching, jaw-dropping stunts also feature — complete with a rocket car (yes, really) — but somehow, the saga hasn't expended all family-related options just yet. As both the initial trailer back in early 2020 and the long-awaited, just-dropped second trailer for the delayed flick reveals, the villain this time is John Cena, who joins the series as Dom's younger brother Jakob.

When the film hits cinemas in June after being postponed for more than a year due to the pandemic, don't expect a happy sibling reunion. This flick's outlandish set pieces will pit Dom and the crew against Jakob, who has teamed up with returning criminal mastermind Cypher (Charlize Theron). Basically, they could've called this film Fast and Furious: More Stunts and More Family, which is exactly what both trailers so far serve up. Of course, that's what's made this franchise a huge box-office success for two decades now — and those action scenes, while typically defying logic, physics and gravity, are always expertly, astonishingly and entertainingly choreographed.

As well as Diesel, Rodriguez, Brewster, Cena, Theron and Mirren, Fast and Furious 9 also stars franchise mainstays Tyrese Gibson and Ludacris, plus Game of Thrones' Nathalie Emmanuel (who joined the series back in 2015's Furious 7 and is now considered part of Dom's family). And, it features the highly anticipated return of Sung Kang as Han, which is quite the narrative development if you've been following every quarter mile this series has ever sped across.

After a two-film absence, the movie also marks the return of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Fast & Furious, Fast Five and Fast & Furious 6 director Justin Lin.

Check out the new trailer for F9 below:

Fast and Furious 9 releases in Australian cinemas on Thursday, June 17. 

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