Fast & Furious is one of the most well-known movie franchises of all time. After 13 movies and counting, Netflix decided to release a long-overdue animated series. Its fourth season was introduced in 2021, and it has great reviews so far. Nostalgic parents enjoy the show just as much as their children.
The storyline revolves around Dom Toretto's cousin, Tony, recruited by a government agency to infiltrate an elite crime organization called SH1FT3R. It did not disappoint fans, nor children. For those who like to take a look behind the scenes, here are some facts and easter eggs viewers might have missed.
10 Vin Diesel Guest Stars
For those who haven't started watching, this piece of information might just be the one to change their mind. Fast & Furious character Dom (Vin Diesel) has a supporting role, as the cousin of the series' protagonist. While he doesn't have as much screen time as one might wish for, Vin Diesel makes appearances here and there, voicing his animated counterpart.
Producer Tim Hendrick states in an interview that the star actor was great to work with. While pitching to him was intimidating, Diesel loved the idea from the start and was very supportive of the idea to bring the franchise to young audiences.
9 Links Between Movies And Animation
There's something of a friendly competition between the movie and the animation series. Because both of them are ongoing, and both are evolving the story, they sometimes use each other as a "cheat sheet" when an idea warrants it.
One example is the giant engine on the back of the car that the team uses to make the car much faster in Spy Racers. After that aired, the trailer of Fast & Furious 9, hinted at the same idea. The question arises: who thought of it first? From interviews with Hendrick, it becomes clear that while there are no hard feelings between the creators, ideas can shift from one crew to another.
8 Vin Diesel's Daughter Has A Role In The Series
In addition to the legendary Vin Diesel being a huge part of the project, his daughter also has a role in the animated series. Hania Riley "Simulce" Sinclaire plays the role of Sissy Henson, a supporting character throughout the series.
Although she doesn't have a huge role, creators love the way this father-daughter dynamic works behind the scenes. Not only can the legend introduce such a meaningful part of his life and career to his eldest daughter, Simulce can also spread her wings in the industry alongside her father.
7 The Importance Of Family
The importance of family was always the most important aspect of the movies, and it still is in the animated series. Creators thought it would be important to leave this in the series, and they went above and beyond by even hinting at movie scenes. No one can be left behind, because everyone is family.
But a more conspicuous scene was when Tony makes fun of the way his cousin says the phrase, imitating his deep voice. This creates a giant throwback for parents who watched the movies on the big screen. Hendrick also claims, that if the word "family" isn't in the script at least 5-6 times per episode, the entire script goes through a rewrite. Although this comes naturally after a while for the writers, it's still a lot of effort put into the theme of family.
6 Car Stunts And Gadgets
Most of the homages to the original movies appeared through stunts and gadgets. Tony's new car has an ejector seat, much like in 2 Fast 2 Furious. Another epic scene featured a giant car chase through a tunnel, which hints at the 2009 film's Mexican tunnel scene.
Awesome rooftop jumps also appear in the animated series, where Tony says "if Dom can do it, so can I". Train heists and truck raids appear as well, much like in the first movie — but with a twist that would make Dom and his entire team proud. The series is full of easter eggs and hints in lines, which only the true fans will notice.
5 Ms. Nowhere Vs Mr. Nobody
The seventh movie stars Kurt Russel as Mr. Nobody. While she might not look exactly like Mr. Kurt Russel, Spy Racers' Ms. Nowhere is definitely a nod towards this character. Dom is very familiar with the government liaison in the series, and her codename hints strongly at Mr. Nobody.
It's fairly clear that both Ms. Nowhere and Mr. Nobody are part of the same nameless organization. It's hinted that their roles are inherited, much like Q in the James Bond movies. At one point, she even says that she prefers to be a "Nowhere" than a "Nobody". The two character's personalities, roles, and even clothes strongly resemble each other. Either Ms. Nowhere is a version of the iconic Mr. Nobody, or she inherited the role from him.
4 The Deadliest Weapon In The Franchise's History
The evolution of Fast & Furious is huge and still ongoing. During the decade of filmmaking, creators have added all sorts of weapons. Either the protagonist possesses these creations, or he's responsible for not letting it fall into the wrong hands.
The animated series has widened this arsenal of awesome weapons and has introduced possibly the deadliest weapon known to the franchise. Spy Racers series features the "Skeleton Key," a helmet that can hack all tech within a five-mile radius. It can turn the possessor into the world's deadliest technopath, able to control everything. The helmet is a huge part of the storyline, and creators definitely did the franchise proud with this smart addition.
3 Fast & Furious In Space
As some people already know, the rumor has been confirmed: Fast & Furious is going to space, and sooner than anyone would have thought. The ninth addition to the franchise, due in 2021, will send characters to space.
In his interview, Hendrick states that although he has not yet seen the movie to confirm the rumors, he'd be thrilled to send the kids to space, regardless of the movie's evolution. He even hinted at a Fast & Furious Voltron crossover, which would be a huge twist in the series.
2 Influences From Speed Racer
The entire vibe and story of the animated series reeks of Speed Racer influences. While this was not fully confirmed, some creators have stated, that yes, Speed Racer is in fact awesome, and of course, it's hard to avoid being inspired by it.
Fans of both worlds will see some influences from Speed Racer here and there. Furthermore, they're all very subtle, masterful homages.
1 Season Five Potential Storyline
While it has not yet been confirmed, fans are already discussing the fifth season of Spy Racers. Since the fourth season didn't set up exactly what's next for the kids, people are talking about various outcomes. Two of the four seasons ended on ambiguous terms, so it's possible that the next will pick up where the third season left off, bringing back the billionaire villain of seasons one and three.
Of course, a lot of things can alter the evolution of the series, including the conclusion of the movie franchise. While fans would love to see a conclusion to the third season's ending, anything is possible, and it's not likely to disappoint either way.