Fans have been waiting for more than a year for the release of Fast & Furious 9, also known as F9. The movie is finally gearing up for a theatrical release, and fans are agog to discover the plot of the latest story about Dom aka Dominic Toretto, and his crew of racing daredevils. In a recent interview with EW, Vin Diesel, who plays Dom, promised that the return of fan-favorite character Han in F9 will be satisfying and central to the ethos of the Fast and Furious franchise.

"Han is an integral character in this franchise. If you remember, he's kind of responsible for the away years of Dom Toretto. He's the one doing jobs with him in Mexico, he's the only one who knows where Dom is, and in many ways is the bridge for Dom when Dom comes back in Tokyo Drift. So there's something very special and magical about the Han character. When you see the movie you'll feel it, but I believe at the core it's another testament to, not only don't turn your back on family, but don't give up on family. Without giving away the plot, that's the theme: don't give up on family."

The character of Han, played by Sung Kang, first appeared in the unofficial Fast & Furious spinoff Better Luck Tomorrow. After that, he jumped into the main continuity of the franchise in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Han continued to make sporadic appearances in the franchise as a close ally of Dom and his crew until the character was seemingly killed during Fast & Furious 6.

Thus, the news that Han would be returning for F9 was met with a great deal of surprise and excitement by fans, who are looking forward to discovering how Han was able to cheat death to fight for another day. According to Vin Diesel, fans are going to find the long wait for the movie to be worth it once F9 finally arrives in theaters.

"When you make a good movie, your first goal is to make something that you can be proud of, and in the film business you learn from the very beginning that when the film gets released, even without the [global health emergency], is rarely in your control. But when you really think about the quality of the movie, there's more time you have to work in post-production, more time to get the shots right; it does give you a little bit of a cushion. I want to get the movie out for all of the great fans who have been waiting for this chapter - and yet look at the world that we live in. I can only say that when you see the movie you will be excited and, hopefully, you will be really, really happy."

Directed by Justin Lim, F9 stars Vin Diesel, John Cena, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges, Jordana Brewster, Nathalie Emmanuel and Sung Kang, with Helen Mirren, Charlize Theron and Cardi B. The film arrives in theaters on May 28. This news comes from Entertainment Weekly.