Fast 10's original script "excluded" one major character and Vin Diesel thought about walking away because of it

(Image credit: Universal Pictures)

It's hard to imagine a Fast and Furious movie without Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto. But when the actor saw that a major character from the series was "excluded" in the original script for Fast 10, he thought about walking away from the project.

Universal Pictures confirmed the official title of the upcoming sequel, which is set to arrive in 2023, recently. When the news broke, Diesel took to Instagram to share its new logo, and an interesting anecdote from the film's early days.

"When the F10 script came in, it excluded Mia Toretto…. Someone whom I've attributed the brotherhood of Dom and Brian to," the caption began, as he referenced Jordana Brewster's character, his onscreen sister. "I was so disappointed that I couldn't see how I could continue…

"After all, I wasn't going to make another Fast unless Brian was back in Four… I don't need to remind you of the petitions you sent the studio for Letty's return at the end of Five."

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Diesel went on to recall how one of his daughters was so let down that Mia wasn't featured, she spoke to director Justin Lin about it – and subsequently got the character placed back into the storyline.

"Side note, you will never believe who corrected the very important role of Mia… My daughter, the Alpha Angel, who told the director very plainly and honestly, 'NO MIA NO FAST 10!' haha," he wrote.

Originally scheduled to release during Easter Weekend 2023, Fast 10 – geared up to be the penultimate chapter in the series – will now come out in cinemas on May 19 next year.

Joining Diesel and Jordana Brewster are newly confirmed cast members Aquaman's Jason Momoa, Captain Marvel's Brie Larson, and Daniela Melchior, who rose to fame in last year's The Suicide Squad. Sung Kang (as Han Lue), Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges (Tej Parker), Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey), Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz), and Charlize Theron (Cypher) are all expected to return, too.

While we wait to see whether they will, make sure to catch up on the franchise with our guide on how to watch the Fast and Furious movies in order – because, no, they were not released in chronological order.

I am an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things TV and film across our Total Film and SFX sections. Elsewhere, my words have been published by the likes of Digital Spy, SciFiNow, PinkNews, FANDOM, Radio Times, and Total Film magazine.