Jordana Brewster, who plays Mia in the Fast & Furious saga, hopes that Fast Forever will settle this little “problem.”
As Michelle Rodriguez noted on the Cannes Film Festival red carpet in 2026 for the special screening of the first Fast & Furious, the franchise is remarkable, not least for its longevity. And that’s a fact since it’s been around for 25 years, with ten films, a spin-off titled Hobbs & Shaw, and four Fast & Furious series apparently in development.
From its street-racing beginnings (Fast & Furious: $207 million in box office on a $38 million budget) to the latest entry (Fast X: $714 million in box office with an estimated budget of $378 million, give or take), the franchise even hit a high-water mark in 2015 (Fast & Furious 7: $1.5 billion in box office on a budget estimated between $190 and $250 million).
WASHING ONE’S DIRTY LAUNDRY WITHIN THE FAMILY
Asked by Variety about the franchise’s future, Jordana Brewster shared what she hopes or at least desires for Fast Forever, the “literary” name for Fast & Furious 11. Her ambitions center primarily on her own character:
“In the last film, I’d like to reconnect with the first. Mia has become increasingly passive. I want her to be the architect of her own story and not endure everything that happens around her. To be independent is my greatest wish.”
Indeed, it’s hard today to view Dom’s sister—who later becomes Brian O’Conner’s girlfriend—as anything other than a luxe supporting character in the saga. The films seem unsure what to do with the character, present since the first feature, as if she appears mainly out of loyalty (which may be true).
Nevertheless, Jordana Brewster recalled her pivotal role in Fast Five, even as she appeared pregnant:
“In the last film, I’d like to reconnect with the first. Mia has become increasingly passive. I want her to be the architect of her own story and not endure everything that happens around her. To be independent is my greatest wish.”
Her renewed emphasis on the character could come through Mia and Brian’s kids:
“Raising boys is really hard. I’d like to see how she handles that, especially with this gentle approach to parenting. I’d like to see Mia lose her temper with her children. A strong, independent mother dealing with teenagers.”
Still, the actress isn’t advocating a return to roots solely for her character. She laments, to some extent, the increasingly outrageous and “green screen” direction that Fast & Furious has taken, delivering a line that made our day:
“We have lost in subtlety [as the films] got bigger.”
She particularly misses the more realistic craft of the original where Paul Walker often drove the car himself:
“I could count on him. He loved driving. He was passionate about cars. He knew how to make things really impressive. It was fun to shoot in a more concrete way. You don’t need to manufacture adrenaline.
There’s something artificial about being in front of a green screen. It’s like the mountain is right there! It’s a bit of cheating. There’s a level of precision [when it’s real]. It’s also fun with the crew, because they’re all leaning out of the car with us.”
Will Jordana Brewster’s arguments be heard? Not necessarily. It’s hard not to sympathize given that the last two installments (9 and 10) are among the franchise’s weaker entries. With Vin Diesel and Universal likely aiming to draw as many fans as possible to Fast & Furious 11 (Dwayne Johnson and Gal Gadot reappearing at the very end of Fast X…), Mia is likely to end up refining her role as the decorative plant in the next adventure.
Fast Forever hits theaters in the United States on March 15, 2028
