Michelle Rodriguez Threatens To Leave Fast And Furious Franchise

The “Fast and the Furious” franchise is one of the longest-running film franchises in recent film history, known for its diverse cast, high intensity action scenes, and sense of comradery between the characters. However, one of the main stars of the film, Michelle Rodriguez, see things otherwise and has threatened to leave the film franchise all together if there is not some sort of change – for her, allowing the female characters to take the lead.

“Fast and Furious” has released eight films since 2001, grossing over $5 billion in its history, and has cemented its place in history as one of the most successful film series to date. The most notable members of the cast, Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordana Brewster, Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, and Dwayne Johnson have all appeared in most (if not all) the installments of the franchise.

However, it can be noted that the main protagonists in the film are mainly the men of the F&F crew, often leaving viewers feeling as though the women of the franchise have not had their chance to be the heros, namely Rodriguez’s character Letty Ortiz and Jordana Brewster’s Mia Toretto, in addition to a plethora of supporting characters.

Rodriguez posted to her Instagram account @mrodofficial:

“"F8 is out digitally today," she wrote in the caption of her Instagram photo. "I hope they decide to show some love to the women of the franchise on the next one or I just might have to say goodbye to a loved franchise. It's been a good ride & I'm grateful for the opportunity the fans & studio have provided over the years ... One Love."”

The franchise has its ninth and tenth installments in progress, due to be released in 2019 and 2021, respectively. With the recent release of the eighth film, it seems Rodriguez has decided to highlight her frustration with the filmmakers for their lack of giving center stage to the badass women of the franchise.

Rodriguez also commented in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that she felt her lack of lines and scenes with long time co-star Jordana Brewster is “pathetic and it’s (a) lack of creativity”. A later post on cast member Vin Diesel’s Instagram account thanked him for supporting the women of the franchise and that no anger was directed towards her male cast mates.

Hopefully she gets her wish, as it seems many F&F fans agree with her sentiments, evidenced by the comments on the former post. Universal Pictures, the current production company of the franchise, have yet to comment on the actresses’ statements.