Fast and Furious has a very dedicated following. Fans have been following the world of Dominic Toretto since 2001 and have become increasingly obsessed with each movie that comes out. Throughout its ten films, they have been collecting A-list stars like Infinity Stones, adding actors like Jason Statham, Charlize Theron, John Cena, and Jason Momoa.
Many Marvel actors have also made their way behind the wheel, with Kurt Russell being the perfect example. Playing the role of Mr. Nobody, his character became an iconic part of the series.
Considering the type of audience the films have, they have been put in a category of movies that specifically have action, thrills, and crime. Even though Russell was okay with starring in the street racing franchise, he drew the line at Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables.
Kurt Russell’s Opinions on Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables
Kurt Russell gave an interview with IGN, where he went into great detail about his time in the Fast and Furious franchise. Here he was asked if there was something specific about the Vin Diesel franchise that made him more inclined to join it, compared to a franchise like The Expendables. The actor revealed that he has great respect for Sylvester Stallone and what he achieved from these films. However, they were simply not his cup of tea.
“Yeah. I mean, I’m glad Sly’s done well with this. He’s a great person. The fellas all seem to have a good time. I’ve never seen any of them. It’s not a beat I get. It’s like looking backwards to me.”
Russell elaborated on why this was the case. Although he had not seen any of the films, he had a general idea of what they were about. Knowing this, he did not think that they were the type of projects he would be a part of. He went as far as to call the films ‘backward’, not specifying under which context.
The Fast and Furious Franchise Seems Mysterious to Kurt Russell
Kurt Russell then went on to talk about why he was more drawn to the Fast and Furious series compared to Sylvester Stallone’s The Expendables.
He mentioned that Vin Diesel’s films possess a certain kind of mystery to them. The audience and the actors were all there for a fun time, and everyone was enjoying themselves.
“There’s something about Fast & Furious. It has that mystery to me — and it’s for a funny audience, you know? It’s for a 15 to… 30? I think now you can take that from 15 to 45, and I think that’s what’s interesting about that. I like the way Vin talks about it — it’s a saga. It’s not a series, it’s a saga. I think that Paul dying is a part of that saga.
He talked about how the age of their audience also appealed to him, as well as the way the Dominic Toretto actor fondly talked about the movies. Referring to them as a ‘saga’ rather than a film series makes it seem as though they are part of something grand. It would seem that such an approach and franchise was appealing to Russell.