Dom Toretto is expected to reunite with a major Fast & Furious character for the first time since 2013's Fast & Furious 6 during the final film of the series, Fast X: Part 2, which is projected for a 2026 release date. While fast cars, wild chases and exotic locations are obvious factors in The Fast & the Furious franchise, family has become an important theme to the Vin Diesel-led series of films, and the franchise loves bringing back pieces of Toretto's family whenever possible.

Gal Gadot's character, Gisele Yashar, joined the Fast & Furious cast in 2009's Fast & Furious as a drug smuggler with expert driving skills and elite marksmanship. Gisele became an even more important character in Fast V, once Toretto recruits her, she develops a romantic relationship with Han Lue, and she proves she's an asset to the team, a.k.a. the family. Gadot was making a name for herself within The Fast & the Furious franchise, so Gisele's shock death scene at the end of Fast & Furious 6 was a huge surprise for fans.

In the following, we take a look at how a Gisele and Dom reunion is possible in Fast X: Part 2, and why Gal Gadot's character hasn't been in the Fast & Furious franchise since Fast & Furious 6. We also reveal what Vin Diesel wants to happen in the final Fast & Furious film.

Fast X: Part II Is Set Up To Finally Reunite Dom And Gisele

Via Universal

Fast X's ending was explosive and stacked with multiple cliffhangers, and Fast X: Part 2, also being called Fast 11, is expected to pick up right where Fast X left things. Dante Reyes (played by Jason Momoa) attacked Dominic Toretto's family from all sides.

One of the major cliffhanger endings to Fast X involves Letty and Cipher (played by Michelle Rodriguez and Charlize Theron) shown at an unknown arctic location after they escaped The Agency's (now being ran by Dante) secret prison, when a submarine rises out of the water, and Gal Gadot's Gisele emerges from the submarine... which was obviously a huge shock since Gisele was believed to have died at the end of Fast & Furious 6.

Vin Diesel shared the first look at the final Fast & Furious movie in a post on Instagram that featured Dom's car in the snow. While nothing has been officially confirmed for Fast X: Part 2, fans believe this snow setting directly connects Dom to Letty and Cipher's arctic setting from the end of Fast X. Dom reuniting with Letty in Fast X: Part 2 also means Vin Diesel's character is set up to reunite with Gisele.

How Gisele survived her fall in Fast & Furious 6 and returned for Fast X has yet to be revealed, but the Fast & Furious franchise has shown before there's always a way to bring characters back from the dead.

Why Gal Gadot's Fast & Furious Character Hadn't Been Seen Since 2013

When Gal Gadot joined the Fast & Furious franchise with 2009's Fast & Furious, she was not the major movie star she is today, and her character, Gisele Yashar, was only meant to be a minor character in the franchise. Gal Gadot's powerful performance in Fast V exceeded the expectations the franchise had for Gisele and helped the character become a main member of the Fast & Furious cast. But even then, it wasn't enough to cement her as a permanent member of the family.

Fast & Furious 6 used Gisele Yashar to demonstrate that even the heroes aren't invincible without having to cut off anyone from the core cast. Gisele was the perfect heroic sacrifice that wouldn't greatly affect any of the Fast & Furious franchise's future sequels.

At the end of Fast & Furious 6, Gisele let herself fall off the plane to save Han from being shot by one of Owen Shaw's henchmen. Her death scene was even more tragic when the Fast & Furious 6 mid-credits scene showed Shaw's brother crashing Han's car, leaving him to die.

Bringing Gisele back to the Fast & Furious franchise is a big deal for both Gal Gadot and the franchise. After Gal Gadot's outstanding role as Wonder Woman in the DCEU and her rise in popularity, Gadot's star power is far more immense than it was when she joined Fast & Furious in 2009.

Fast X director, Louis Leterrier, expressed excitement in bringing Gal Gadot and Gisele back to The Fast & the Furious. "I was lucky enough to direct one commercial with her, and I saw the power of Gal Gadot for 30 seconds."

What Vin Diesel Wants To Happen In Fast X: Part II

Via Universal

Fast X: Part 2 is expected to be the final Fast & Furious movie and the grand finale to an over two-decade-long legacy. Fast X left Dom Toretto's family in shambles, which means Fast X: Part 2 has a lot of ground to cover to reach the perfect ending fans want and need to see with the franchise.

According to Vin Diesel, the final Fast & Furious film will hit hard.

In an Instagram post, the actor wrote, "Just finished our end of the week Fast meeting with the writers and the whole team… to say the excitement for our finale was incredibly powerful is an understatement. Wow. So exciting… While everyone was heading into the weekend amped and excited, I thought of you all… reminded of the countless moments when your enthusiasm and passion became the driving force behind our creative journey. Your commitment to our saga has had a unique impact on its success and evolution… as my youngest daughter would say, it’s profound."

Fast X: Part 2 is slated for a 2026 release date and is expected to be even bigger than Fast X. As the final film works hard to tie up all the loose ends and bring all of Dom's family back together, it is reported that Vin Diesel "demanded" a $250 million budget for Fast X: Part 2. However, according to Radaronline, the executives have begged him to scale back after Fast X's $340 million budget and less-than-stellar box office performance.

According to a source for Radaronline, Vin Diesel wants to "make the biggest Fast movie ever, and he's taking his case to the fans with his social media updates... Vin has to prove to the studio that fans will show up in huge numbers."

Vin Diesel has already hinted that the late Paul Walker's Fast & Furious character, Brian O'Conner, will appear in the final Fast & Furious film in some fashion, which could be enough to drive fans to the theaters to see Fast X: Part 2.

"That moment in 2013 when the world was struggling with his loss, the studio made a very bold and righteous and daring decision to keep Brian O’Conner alive. I will give you this without spoiling anything..."