Han Seoul-Oh (a.k.a. Han Lue) is a character in the Fast and the Furious franchise who has quite the fanbase. After his death in Tokyo Drift, a movie that is surprisingly in the future of the series, before we go back in time in the fourth movie, fans were gifted with more of his story throughout the franchise. From his relationship with Gal Gadot’s Gisele to his introduction into the family, he was just as important a member as Letty, Dom, Brian, and others.
Finally, in F9: The Fast Saga, we got Han back, and it was so good to see him. But it also came with an important ask: He needed justice. Knowing that Han was going to die in Tokyo was one thing, but then learning that Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw was the reason behind his death? And Shaw was still LET INTO THE FAMILY? That was unacceptable, and fans made sure our opinions on it were heard. Thus was born the #JusticeForHan movement.
But Han simply being alive and well in the franchise isn’t enough. He’s been through a lot since Gisele’s death in the series and his own fake-out. And talking with The Hollywood Reporter, actor Sung Kang talked about his career and the legacy that Han held for fans in the franchise and how he went from thinking of the series as a “hokey action flick” into his understanding of how important Han is.
Kang talked about his first learning of the #JusticeForHan hashtag and the meaning that Han held for so many:
“Jen [Yamato] had a vigil for Han — an actual vigil with people and candles. She’s a fan of the idea of what Han represents to so many, Asian or not. It taught me and instilled in me that Fast is no longer hokey. I used to always think of it as a hokey action flick, but within that, there’s so much power to make a difference and truly impact people. So I was totally honored, and that’s when I started taking it super seriously.”
He also got into this idea of “justice” for Han. With the hashtag, my understanding was that it extended to the acceptance of Shaw into the family, in a way. But Kang also sees that it’s more than that. It’s also justice for Han’s love Gisele:
“As Sung, it’s fairy-tale land right now. But within the story, if you just take away my personal feelings and involvement, yeah, [justice] hasn’t been served. It hasn’t been served because someone that is dear to Han [Gal Gadot’s Gisele] is not here anymore. So how is that resolved? And if I find the man responsible for it [Luke Evans’ Owen Shaw], what do I do to him? So we’ll see.”
At the end of F9: The Fast Saga, we see Shaw beating up a man in a punching bag, and he hears a knock at his door to discover Han on his doorstep. It’s all we get, but it’s a glimpse into their unfinished business, and I hope that the tenth movie in the series unpacks that pain that Han still has.
Hopefully, we will finally have #JusticeForHan because he is easily the best character in the franchise. Fans rallied behind the cries and wanted an answer for his death because he’s one of the more interesting aspects of the Fast and the Furious movies.
(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: Universal Pictures)
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