The Best Fast & Furious Character First Appeared in a Different Movie

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In a surprising twist, Han Lue, the food-loving street racer from the Fast & Furious series, who is portrayed by Sung Kang, initially appeared in another movie – the 2002 independent film titled Better Luck Tomorrow, which was co-written and directed by Justin Lin. When Lin took charge of the Fast & Furious franchise, he subtly introduced Han as an Easter egg. However, due to the immense popularity of the character, he made subsequent appearances, leading us to believe that he possesses some extraordinary resilience given all that he has endured.

Here’s a look back at the odd road Han had to drift down to get into Fast X.

Better Luck Tomorrow” was being penned by Lin, Ernesto Foronda, and Fabian Marquez before “The Fast and the Furious” hit the screens. This movie is a crime drama set in California high schools, serving as a critique of the youth culture’s cognitive dissonance during that period. Lin expressed his intention to delve into the adoption of an “urban-gangsta-mentality” among suburban Asian-American boys as a unique aspect of this story.

The film revolves around two childhood friends, Ben (played by Parry Shen) and Virgil (Jason Tobin), who are academically gifted and aspire to attend Ivy League universities from their affluent neighborhood. However, they also engage in minor criminal activities such as burglary and vandalism for the excitement, as they grapple with their pre-planned lives. Frequently, they collaborate with Virgil’s older cousin Han on these illegal activities. Throughout the movie, their crimes become more serious in correlation with their achievements or setbacks in their conventional pursuits – for instance, when Ben doesn’t make the basketball team, he steals test answers and sells them to other students to compensate.

Han serves as a contrast to these two characters and challenges their attempts at criminal activity. Despite Ben’s cynical or disillusioned demeanor, he can’t envision himself as someone like Han. Eventually, they all overstep boundaries, leaving them scarred by the ordeal. This grim finale sets up Han’s debut in the timeline of the “Fast & Furious” series.

Watching Better Luck Tomorrow is certainly worth your time, and if you’re a fan of the Fast & Furious series, it’s an absolute must-see. Interestingly, Kang himself expressed interest in playing Ben during casting, unaware that Han would later become such a pivotal character in his career. On the other hand, Tobin portrayed Earl, a distinct character in the Fast & Furious franchise who first appeared in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift.

Han in Fast & Furious

Tokyo Drift”. However, it was determined that the spinoff film’s plot unfolds between “Fast & Furious 6” and “Furious 7”.

In the prelude to the saga, Han initially appears in the short movie titled “Los Bandoleros“. It’s here where he encounters Dom Toretto in Mexico and forges a bond with him. The short film portrays them racing and executing a heist together. It seems they collaborated in such a manner for several years, until their notoriety became too immense. At this point, Dom decides to halt their activities for Letty’s safety. However, when the opportunity arises for Dom and Brian to secure a life-altering prize in “Fast Five“, Han is among the first individuals they contact to join their team.

In the sixth film, Han emerges from his retirement and reunites with the team to aid Dom in locating Letty. It seems that after cashing out from their heist, Han moved to Tokyo where he established his own garage – a time frame coinciding with the events of Tokyo Drift. The end-credits scene of Fast & Furious 6 hints at Han’s death in the finale of Tokyo Drift, which was orchestrated by the antagonist, Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham), who later becomes the main villain in Furious 7.

In the narrative, things become a bit more straightforward: I reappear in Fast & Furious 9, unveiling that my demise was merely a ruse, allowing me to operate undercover with the secretive government agency that the rest of the F&F team is currently employed by. I make another appearance in Fast X, which leaves us hanging on the edge of our seats regarding the storyline involving Roman, Tej, Ramsey, and myself. It’s anticipated that we will all be back for the final chapter of this epic saga, but what lies ahead for us remains to be seen.

The shift from Han’s role in an independent drama to a major blockbuster franchise demonstrates the value of adaptability and risk-taking in Hollywood. Despite the series’ growing size and absurdity, Han remains a cherished figure among fans. To delve into Han’s modest beginnings, movie enthusiasts can rent or buy Better Luck Tomorrow on digital platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or FandangoNow. The film is also available for purchase on Blu-ray and DVD.

Other Fast & Furious movies can be streamed on Peacock.

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2025-04-07 19:10