Fear not, as Michelle Rodriguez has confirmed her return as Letty in Fast & Furious 9. This has been something of a big question mark for some time. In 2017, the actress, who has been part of the franchise from the very beginning, made it clear that she wasn't going to return unless the producers were willing to "show some love to the women of the franchise on the next one." So, it's not surprising to learn that her return came under the condition that a female writer be brought on to help pen the upcoming installment.

At the present time, it isn't clear who this female writer is going to be. We learned around this time last year that newcomer Daniel Casey had been tapped to pen Fast and Furious 9, taking over for longtime series writer Chris Morgan, who is focusing on the upcoming spin-off Hobbs and Shaw as both the writer and producer. Michelle Rodriguez spoke a bit about her decision at the Bloomberg Future of Equality Summit in London recently. Here's what she had to say about it.

"I felt like there was not enough of a female voice in the franchise. You should evolve with the times, not just pander to certain demographics that are stuck [in the past]."

Not only is Letty a key character within the framework of the movies, but this franchise has gone on to become one of the most popular ever on a global scale. To date, the eight movies that make up the Fast and Furious series have grossed a grand total of $5.1 billion at the worldwide box office, with the series only increasing in popularity ever since the fourth entry. Point being, there are a ton of women and men all around the world who enjoy these movies. As such, it's fair for one of the stars to want equal representation both in front of and behind the camera.

As for what we can expect beyond more inclusivity from the upcoming movie? Not much as been revealed as of yet. Vin Diesel did previously tease that the gang may be heading to Africa for the first time. We also know that John Cena has boarded the cast in an unspecified role. Someone has to fill in the large wrestler-turned-actor shoes since Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is busy paling around with Jason Statham in their very own spin-off, which arrives later this year.

Justin Lin, who helmed four previous entries in the franchise, but took a break for the most recent two, is back in the director's chair. Jordana Brewster is also set to make her return as Mia, after sitting out for The Fate of the Furious. We'll be sure to keep you posted as further details on the project are made available. Fast and Furious 9 is currently set to arrive in theaters on May 22, 2020. This news was previously reported by Bloomberg.