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Jul 13, 2023

Fast X: Eva Mendes Gets a Sneaky Nod, But Where the Heck Is She?

This post contains spoilers for "Fast X." It is the beginning of the end for

This post contains spoilers for "Fast X."

It is the beginning of the end for the Fast Saga as "Fast X" has hit theaters, serving as the first part in what will be a two-film finale to the long-running series. Though Vin Diesel has indicated that it could turn into a trilogy. In any event, Universal Pictures is beginning to wind things down with Dom Toretto and the gang. As expected, that means a lot of familiar faces from the past are going to reappear before all is said and done. But one wildly unexpected face did make a return, albeit in a very "blink and you'll miss it" sort of way. Depending on how things shake out, it does suggest a possible, more meaningful return in "Fast & Furious 11."

The core plot of the film sees Jason Momoa's Dante getting revenge on Dom and his family for killing his father during the events of "Fast Five." The crew is largely split up for almost the entire movie, with Han (Sung Kang), Ramsey (Nathalie Emmanuel), Tej (Ludacris), and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) doing some globetrotting to rendezvous with Dom. At one point, they make a discovery while trying to track down their stolen money. Dante is targeting everyone who has ever helped Dom and his friends during the course of all nine previous films!

During this brief sequence, the computer screen flashes glimpses of people who seem to be on the target list. Among them? Eva Mendes' Monica Fuentes! Indeed, even though it was a tiny little moment, a once-important character in the series who hasn't appeared on screen in well over a decade has been acknowledged. So, does this mean we're actually going to see Monica make a return? It's complicated.

Mendes first appeared in "2 Fast 2 Furious," serving as a major character in that film. She played an undercover agent named Monica Fuentes who was working with Paul Walker's Brian O'Connor and Roman Pierce, with Tyrese Gibson making his entry in the franchise in that film as well. But that movie has always been a bit of an outlier in the series since Vin Diesel's Dom was nowhere to be found. On the other hand, both Roman and Tej went on to become mainstays.

The last time we actually saw Monica prior to this was at the tail end of "Fast Five," which is widely considered to be the best in the series. It's also worth noting that "Fast X" has a great deal of connective tissue with that movie, almost serving as a direct sequel in some ways. In a post-credits scene attached to the 2011 entry, Monica appears and drops some important info on the desk of Dwayne Johnson's Hobbs, letting him know that Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) is still alive. But that was it! One credits scene and she was never to be seen again.

This acknowledgment in "Fast X" tells us that Monica Fuentes is out there somewhere. Is she still in the FBI? Has she retired in an attempt to live a quiet life? Is she actually in danger as Dante continues to threaten those who wronged him? On that note, the credits scene attached to "Fast X" strongly suggests that another big player from the past is being brought back into the fold. So anything is possible.

The real potential issue is that Mendes has been semi-retired for nearly a decade. Her last actual, significant role was back in 2014's "Lost River." Save for lending her voice to an episode of "Bluey," she's seemingly content to just live her life. In an interview with Variety in 2022, Mendes addressed walking away from the business saying, "I don't really miss it." She didn't totally rule out a return to Hollywood, but it certainly doesn't seem high on her priority list:

"There are more opportunities for Latina actresses now, but when I bowed out 10 years ago I wasn't being offered things that weren't specifically Latina. It is exciting that things are different now, so who knows what I will do in the future. But right now, I'm keeping it in the home with my kids."

Could a paycheck talk her into coming back for one last ride with the Fast Family? We'll see what director Louis Leterrier has in mind.

"Fast X" is in theaters now."