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Michelle Rodriguez’s Letty has been on the Fast and Furious crew since the beginning and -- many fans might agree -- plans for the franchise's ninth and tenth films just wouldn’t be same without her. Following the 2017 release of The Fate of the Furious, however, the actress was vocal with her disappointment on the treatment of the series’ female characters. That parked uncertainty on whether she'd return to play Letty. Here’s a recent update on her thoughts:
I don’t know if I’m coming back. I have to read the script first. Once I read the script, I’ll know. When I read the script—and I hope that it’s inclusive—then I’ll agree to come back or not. My energy is completely directed toward the feminine right now and supporting women. I’ve spent most of my life shooting guns, and hanging out with the boys, and watching them scratch their balls, and smelling protein-mixed farts. And now I’m feeling the poetry and the beauty and the sensuality of women, and the power we bring together. So they need to show more love to the women. I don’t know which direction it’s going to go. But I know that I’m headed in that direction. We’ll see if that all matches.
Protein farts aside, here’s hoping the Fast and Furious 9 writers took her concerns into consideration when penning the script. The upcoming installment, to be directed by Justin Lin, is set for a 2020 release. That's following the spinoff Hobbs & Shaw, starring Dwayne Johnson and Jason Statham, which debuts in theaters this summer. The unlikely pair may not appear in Fast 9 either due to their attachments in the spinoff.
Back in 2017, Michelle Rodriguez took to her Twitter account to complain about the role of the women in the franchise, saying it left her feeling stagnant on her path to promote female empowerment through her new roles. After initially threatening to leave the franchise, she later backtracked, noting that costar Vin Diesel had listened to her concerns. It seemed like he would convince her to return.
In addition to Hobbs & Shaw, there is a female-led Fast & Furious spinoff in the works, to be written by Nicole Perlman, Lindsey Beer, and Geneva Robertson-Dworet. There's no word yet on Michelle Rodriguez joining that cast, but one would imagine she would be the lead, along with Jordana Brewster.
As the actress recently told Vanity Fair, her focus has been completely on the feminine. She recently starred in the female-led crime drama Widows alongside Viola Davis, and will soon be featured with Rosa Salazar, Jennifer Connelly, and Lana Condor in the sci-fi action movie Alita: Battle Angel, in theaters on February 14. Bookmark our 2019 movie calendar to keep up with all of the releases this year.
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