Get to Know the Fate of the Furious Characters

Our Fate of the Furious Characters Guide covers the franchise’s returning cast

This Friday will see the release of Universal Pictures‘ eighth Fast and the Furious film, titled The Fate of the Furious. Let’s be honest: the Fast & Furious films don’t really require a deep understanding of the plot (though we have one if you want to catch up) in order to enjoy some amazing car races and action scenes. What will be more helpful is a quick overview of the Fate of the Furious characters who are likely to pop up in the new film.

Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel)

Dominic “Dom” Toretto is the face of the Fast & Furious franchise. Despite watching his dad die in a stock car race, he is a hardcore street racer who looks after his younger sister, Mia (Jordanna Brewster), as the franchise opens. He is all about family, often acting as the father figure to his crew. He is married to Letty, one of his crew. Dom has a long rap sheet, mostly due to car hijackings he committed with his team. Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) joins his team, and even though Dom finds out Brian is an undercover police officer, they have an uneasy friendship that evolves into brotherhood – literally. Brian marries Mia, they have babies, and the two of them retire from Dom’s crew. In reality, of course, Paul Walker, who played Brian, died in a tragic car crash just before he finished filming Furious 7.

Vin Diesel has played Dom since the first The Fast and the Furious, and appeared in every sequel except for 2 Fast 2 Furious. Though his first major role was as Riddick in Pitch Black the year before The Fast and the Furious was released, the racing series is what launched Diesel into the Hollywood A-list. He became a producer on the franchise starting with the fourth film.

Letty Toretto (Michelle Rodriguez)

Letty is one of Dominic’s original crew members. In the fourth film, Dom leaves her in order to protect her, but he is informed a few weeks later that she was murdered. In Fast Five, it is revealed that Letty is alive and working as a double agent with Brian. She has amnesia, though when she comes across Dom in the next film, there is a connection she feels for Dom that she can’t quite explain. She regains her memory in Furious 7, and it is revealed that she and Dom got married at some point. Letty has appeared in all the Fast & Furious movies except 2 Fast 2 Furious, Tokyo Drift, and Fast Five.

Michelle Rodriguez’s first role was as a boxer in 2000’s indie film, Girlfight. The breakout role typecast her as a tough, tomboyish character, often taking roles in male-dominated fields. Rodriguez does not mind this typecasting. In addition to the Fast & Furious franchise, Rodriguez has played a badass in films that include Avatar, the Resident Evil franchise, and the Machete franchise.

Roman Pearce (Tyrese Gibson)

Roman Pearce first appeared in 2 Fast 2 Furious and has been a constant presence since Fast Five. A childhood friend of Brian O’Conner’s, the two met in juvenile detention, but their paths diverged when Brian became a cop and Roman was arrested for possession of stolen cars. The men eventually became friends again when Brian recruits Roman for a sting operation. He eventually becomes part of Dom’s regular crew.

Tyrese Gibson started his career as a musician, releasing a half-dozen albums so far. In addition to the Fast & Furious franchise, Gibson has appeared in several Transformers movies.

Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges)

Tej Parker made his debut in 2 Fast 2 Furious as a friend of Brian’s and a fellow street racer. After being recruited to help pull a heist in Fast Five, Tej has since been a franchise mainstay and a key member of the team thanks to his computer skills.

Beginning his career as a rapper, Ludacris released his first album, “Incognergo” in 1998. 2 Fast 2 Furious was his first leading role as an actor.

Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel)

Nathalie Emmanuel’s Ramsey is an expert hacker who recently made her debut in Furious 7. The creator of a hacking program known as “God’s Eye,” Ramsey wound up getting kidnapped by those who would see her creation used for evil. She wound up getting rescued by Dom and his team and appears to have stuck around for some Fate of the Furious adventures.

Nathalie Emmanuel made her acting debut on the British soap opera Hollyoaks and is well known to Game of Thrones fans for her role as Missandei.

Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson)

Hobbs is a United States Diplomatic Security Service agent, as well as a bounty hunter. His first entrance into the franchise is in Fast Five, and he has appeared in every Fast & Furious film since. He was trying to bring down Dom’s crew, but ends up joining forces with them in order to take revenge on a gang who killed his team. They remain uneasy partners, usually with Hobbs coming to Dom, needing help from him and his crew.

Dwayne Johnson got his start in WWE as The Rock. While still wrestling, he did a few small roles on TV shows, but he really got his big break acting when he appeared in The Mummy Returns and The Scorpion King. He alternates between action roles (like G.I. Joe) and family-friendly roles (like the upcoming Jumanji remake).

Mr. Nobody (Kurt Russell)

Not a lot is known about Mr. Nobody, Kurt Russell’s government agent who made his debut in Furious 7. He’s definitely a fan of Dom and the gang, though, and he’s closely involved with the plot to Fate of the Furious. This time, though, he’s got some help in Eric Reisner, his overeager protégé played by Scott Eastwood.

Kurt Russell has been acting since childhood and currently has a list of credits spanning more than 50 years. He’s back this month as Mr. Nobody and, next month, will make his Marvel Cinematic Universe debut as Ego, the Living Planet, in James Gunn‘s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.

Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham)

Deckard Shaw first appeared in Fast & Furious 6. He is an assassin for United Kingdom Special Forces. His younger brother, Owen Shaw, was the leader of an international crime syndicate. Hobbs was initially after the younger Shaw when he sought Dominic’s help in fighting him. Owen ended up in a coma, with Deckard vowing revenge. According to the trailers for The Fate of the Furious, Deckard joins forces with Hobbs to find out why Dom betrayed them. Hobbs really needs some better friends.

Jason Statham was a model who was discovered by director Guy Ritchie and cast in Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. He is known for his tough guy roles in films such as Snatch, Crank, and the Transporter and Expendables franchises. Statham was originally slated to play Owen, a role which ended up going to Luke Evans.

Cipher (Charlize Theron)

New to the franchise, Cipher is described as a “criminal mastermind who manages to corrupt Dom into working against his allies.” This is one of many badass roles for mega-star Charlize Theron, who has recently been seen in Mad Max: Fury Road and the upcoming Atomic Blonde.