Han Is Back for 'Fast & Furious 9,' but Didn't He Die in 'Tokyo Drift'?

The long-awaited latest installment in the Fast & Furious franchise sees the return of old friends, a few new foes, and off-road driving. One particular twist in Fast & Furious 9 is the return of character Han Lue, played by actor Sung Kang. The last time fans saw Han, he had been in a car crash that seemingly killed him. 

Franchise fans and new audience members alike are wondering: How is Han alive in Fast & Furious 9? 

Han Lue (alias "Han Seoul-Oh") was last seen in Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift when he wrecked his 1997 Mazda RX-7 and presumably died in a fiery crash. Tokyo Drift was the third film of the franchise and the one that Vin Diesel wasn't initially in, until a cameo at the end revealed that Han had been considered part of Dominic Toretto's crew and his friend.

Then, in perhaps a Star Wars-style twist, it was decided that Fast & Furious 4, 5, and 6 had all been set before Tokyo Drift, giving fans more time with Han before his untimely death. The prequel films were where Han became a full-fledged member of Dom's crew, and his romance with Gal Gadot's Gisele in Furious 6 was a celebrated pairing. 

Unfortunately, Gisele also met her end in Furious 6, after which Han decided to travel to Japan, and the events of Tokyo Drift caught up with him. 

The most popular theory among fans is that Han escaped the crash before it happened. In a 2020 interview with ComicBook, Sung Kang explained that both Han and Gisele were set to make a cameo in Furious 7 as the attendees of Dom and Letty's private wedding ceremony, thus revealing their survival. 

Ultimately, the scene was cut from the film, but it would have made Han's return less of a surprise to fans.

While there had been previous jokes about Han having a twin, the most recent trailer for Fast & Furious 9 seemingly reveals that Dom went to Tokyo to seek allies in the war against his brother and ran across Han when he arrived. Perhaps once the film is released, there will be more information about how Han escaped fiery doom. For now, fans are just happy he's back!

Given the announcement that the 11th installment of the franchise would be its last, anything seems possible. Director Justin Lin is back at the helm to round out the series, and he promised the inclusion of more fan-favorite characters (if it doesn't conflict with possible Wonder Woman scheduling, perhaps Gal Gadot's Gisele will return as well?).

In short, after the viral fan campaign #Justice for Han made fans' love for Han clear, it's safe to assume he won't be going anywhere before the grand finale of the franchise. 

Fast & Furious 9 arrives in theaters on June 25, 2021.