The Fast & Furious franchise has long employed the tactic of “throw everything at the wall and see what sticks.” Convert the series from stories about illegal car-racing to stories about international crime-fighting? Sure. Kill characters and then bring them back? Why not? Cast Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Helen Mirren? Okie dokie. Hire John Cena to play Vin Diesel’s brother even though he doesn’t resemble him in the slightest? Yuppppppp.
So it should come as no surprise that apparently Ben Stiller is going to appear in F9 (or F9: The Fast Saga if you’re nasty). Page Six broke the news, noting that Stiller will be filming his performance in the movie “soon.” Since the movie wrapped production back in November and is due in theaters in just weeks it’s safe to assume that Stiller’s appearance will likely be a cameo. Perhaps he will be in a post-credits stinger, revealing that he’ll be the villain for F10. I honestly haven’t the slightest idea what Stiller could be doing in the movie. It certainly seems odd, to say the least. But, you know what, it wouldn’t be the first time these movies have tried something new. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.
I’m sitting here seriously trying to figure out how Stiller would fit in the film. Will he be serious Ben Stiller or comedic Ben Stiller? Gosh, you don’t think they’d attempt a Zoolander cameo, do you? I can actually visualize Diesel’s character landing in New York only to see Derek Zoolander rolling down the window of his souped-up sports car and flashing his Blue Lightning look. If that happens I think I would stand up, walk out of the building and never return to a movie theater again.
Maybe Page Six got it all wrong and Stiller isn’t involved. Maybe this whole thing is some bizarre typo. Or maybe the next phase of the Fast & Furious saga is going to get really silly.