Jason Momoa is making waves as Dante Reyes in the first Fast X trailer, with a deep mental cut revealing why he’ll be Dom’s most problematic nemesis.
When Jason Momoa was announced for Fast X, fans were eager to see who he’d play. With Brie Larson also added, the franchise kept upping its star power, reinforcing how much of a box office titan and pop culture draw this series has become. And from the first Fast X trailer, Momoa’s all business as Dante, the son of the villainous Hernan Reyes from Fast Five.
And make no mistake, Dante’s cutting an intimidating figure, ready to kill to get to Vin Diesel’s Dom. In fact, this is the first time viewers have seen Dom this frazzled, with Dante as resilient as anyone. Interestingly, given the nature of Dante’s “origin” and his vendetta, he’s definitely poised to be the scariest villain in this property, flipping everything that Dom is to make a point.
RELATED:Fast X Star Michelle Rodriguez Thanks Fans For Bringing Her Back To The Franchise
Fast & Furious’ Dom Was Created By a Father’s Death
F9 retconned things from the first movie, revealing the truth behind Dom’s past. His brother Jakob (John Cena) tampered with their dad’s car as he needed him to lose to win money. It led to the man crashing and dying, with Dom nearly beating the other driver to death, blaming him for the accident. In time, he’d accept Jakob was at fault, cutting ties and banishing him from Los Angeles.
Still, no matter what, he couldn’t exorcise the demons of his dad’s passing. Dom felt responsible, as he didn’t help guide Jakob and because he didn’t pick up on the sabotage in the pit. This guilt has driven him to keep a loyal pack, eventually starting his own family. Through the likes of Mia, Letty and young Brian, Dom’s simply hoping to live the life his dad never got, making a paradise at the finish line his old man would be proud of.
RELATED:Robert Downey Jr. Is Vin Diesel’s Top Choice For The Next Fast & Furious Villain
Fast X’s Dante Is the Inverse of Dom
So, a light came from the death of Dom’s dad due to Brian (Paul Walker) helping to set Dom straight. Dom has finally accepted the tragedy, using it to become a hero. However, Dom played a hand in Reyes’ death, stealing money from him to kickstart their new lives. It resulted in Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) executing Reyes for killing some of his DEA agents, which makes Dom a catalyst and a hypocrite. Thus, it’s easy to see Dante channeling all his rage, per those explosion sequences, ready to kill even women and children. It’s why he has no problem kidnapping Dom’s son, as Dom’s the villain in his story. Team Toretto stole from his family, and whether they admit it or not, had a hand in Reyes’ murder. As a result, there’s a cerebral factor at play once Dante holds that mirror up, reminding Dom he’s a monster.
The physical fights aside, that mental cut will go deep, especially as Dom’s a father now and know how it feels if someone gets taken away. He was there before and sees Dante there now, so Dom may become vulnerable, wondering if Brian could end up there down the line. Ultimately, this notion gives Dante a weapon to use, leaving folks curious to see what Dom does against this new threat, with such a big distraction justifying Dante’s crusade against someone who destroyed his family.
