Fast and Furious Star To Lead LGBTQIA+ Drama
That's what you call range.
When you think of the Fast and Furious films, your first thought probably isn’t, “well these are guys who would be great in a movie about the LGBTQIA+ experience.” But at least one of the recurring stars from the franchise clearly has the range for both. Luke Evans, who plays mercenary Owen Shaw in three of the Fast and Furious movies will soon be starring in Our Son opposite Billy Porter.
According to Deadline, Our Son will be about as far from Fast and Furious as you can get. Evans and Porter will play two halves of a couple in the middle of a messy divorce. In particular, they will be locking horns over the custody of their son. Our Son will be directed by Bill Oliver (Jonathan) from a script written by Oliver and Peter Nickowitz.
Luke Evans first joined the Fast and Furious series with 2013’s Fast and Furious 6. He later reprised the role of Owen Shaw in 2015’s Furious 7 and 2017’s The Fate of the Furious. Fans have been curious about Evans’ absence from the franchise, particularly considering he was nowhere to be found in 2019’s Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw. With Jason Statham’s character — Owen’s brother — in a title role, it seemed a natural place for Evans to appear but it never happened. When Screen Rant spoke to franchise writer/producer Chris Morgan that year, he teased a potential return though F9 came and went without Evans.
With Fast X filming as we speak and Vin Diesel’s very public quest to cram as many new and old franchise stars into the movie as possible, it could be that fans have a Luke Evans appearance on the way, but if so there’s been no official word. In the meantime the film is reportedly becoming one of the most expensive ever made, and the inflated cast budget is apparently a big part of the reason why. Along with the usual suspects, Charlize Theron returns as the villain Cipher. The next Fast and Furious movie will also see the additions of Jason Momoa, Daniela Melchior, Brie Larson, Alan Ritchson, and Rita Moreno.
There’s been no stories to indicate this is the case, but it’s possible Luke Evans may not want to return to the Fast and Furious series. Both Dwayne Johnson and most recently director Justin Lin have said no to their roles in the franchise (though Lin remains a producer), so apparently not everyone wants to be in the “family.”
It could very well be that Luke Evans just doesn’t have the time to show up for Fast X. Whether or not Luke Evans finds his way into the final Fast and Furious movies, he’s going to be pretty busy. The Welsh actor will be starring in the upcoming Apple TV+ action drama Echo 3 based on the Israeli TV series When Heroes Fly. He also plays the Coachman in the live-action adaptation of Pinocchio. Last month Evans was announced as boarding the crime thriller 5lbs of Pressure and he’ll be reprising the role of Gaston in the Beauty & the Beast mini-series.
