LOS ANGELES, Aug. 20 (UPI) — The Fast and the Furious, returning to theaters Friday, would not be a candidate for re-release were it not for the 25-year legacy it spawned. Its box office success warranted a sequel, but from the very first entry the franchise had to evolve.

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There have been 10 movies since the 2001 original and the upcoming Fast Forever is expected to conclude the saga… until they decide on one more ride. Here is a breakdown of each Fast and the Furious movie after the original and how they moved the franchise forward.

‘2 Fast 2 Furious’

Vin Diesel turned down $30 million for the sequel, so they made the best of it. Paul Walker is charismatic enough to carry a movie as Brian O’Conner, and 2 Fast introduced Tyrese Gibson as his fun partner, Roman, and Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges as mechanic Tej. The franchise already started retconning itself in 2003. Brian’s guilt over arresting Roman explains why he let Dom (Diesel) go at the end of the first movie.

The second installment of the franchise marked a significant shift in tone and style, setting the stage for the high-octane action and family dynamics that would become hallmarks of the series.

‘The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift’

Though beloved now, this is the only movie that performed well below $100 million domestically. It almost ended the franchise. Then it became a prequel when the 4th, 5th, and 6th movies were set before Han (Sung Kang) went to Tokyo. That timeline also retroactively makes Tokyo Drift more interesting by informing the experiences that made Han a mentor to racers.

Tokyo Drift marked a departure from the original’s street racing focus, introducing a new cast of characters and a different tone that would be revisited in later films.

‘Fast & Furious’

They got the original cast back for 2009’s sequel. Fans don’t like this one now, but they did in 2009 when it opened to $70 million and grossed a then-series high. It is a generic story of Brian and Dom teaming up to get the drug dealer who killed Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) but don’t underestimate the value of the original family.

This film saw the return of the original cast, bringing the franchise full circle and introducing new themes of family and loyalty that would become central to the series.

‘Fast Five’

Now they brought the casts of all four movies together, and added Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) attempting to bring them to justice. This turned the franchise into an international espionage series with global, or at least national stakes, but there wouldn’t be a Fast Five without the success of the previous film showing the original cast still had marquee value. This is where they become superheroes in cars. Oh, and at the end they reveal Letty is still alive, fixing the biggest mistake of Fast & Furious.

Fast Five marked a significant turning point for the franchise, introducing a new cast of characters and a more international focus that would become a hallmark of the series.

‘Furious 6’

Erroneously called The Fast and the Furious 6 on posters, the title on screen is Furious 6. After Fast Five, this is actually the ideal balance of bombastic scale and the ensemble of Five with the superhero tone. Some mock Dom catching Letty after she’s flung from a tank, but it’s no less realistic than Dom walking away from his automobile accident at the end of the first movie.

Furious 6 brought the franchise to new heights, combining high-octane action with a more international focus and a deeper exploration of the characters.

‘Furious 7’

Canonically titled Furious 7, it became a memorial to Walker when he died before completing production in 2013. This changed the plot around footage he shot and what they could reconstruct, but it pays off what these movies meant to people. And the parachuting cars, skyscraper jump and return to downtown Los Angeles still deliver superheroic vehicular action.

Furious 7 marked a significant shift in tone and style, becoming a memorial to Paul Walker and introducing a new level of emotional depth to the series.

‘The Fate of the Furious’

The eighth film reveals that Dom got Elena (Elsa Pataky) pregnant when he thought Letty was dead. So the new mission centers around rescuing Dom and his baby from new villain Cypher (Charlize Theron). Epic sequences include a chase with self-driving cars and racing a submarine on ice, but it opens with a classic street race in Cuba. Furious 7 villain Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) also redeems himself by aiding Dom in the rescue.

The Fate of the Furious introduced new themes of family and loyalty, while also pushing the boundaries of action and stunts in the series.

‘The Fast and the Furious Presents: Hobbs and Shaw’

Johnson’s desire for a spinoff totally misunderstood the franchise he joined as a guest. These movies are about the ensemble, the family. Still, he and Statham are fun to watch in an adventure that’s more about fighting, but has some vehicular mayhem too.

Hobbs and Shaw marked a significant departure from the main franchise, focusing on the characters of Luke Hobbs and Deckard Shaw in a standalone adventure.

‘F9: The Fast Saga’

This movie finally showed a flashback to the story referred to in every previous movie, in which Dom beat a man to death with a socket wrench after the racing death of his father. Flashbacks cast Vinnie Bennett as young Dom and also introduced the estranged brother Jakob (John Cena/Finn Cole) never before mentioned. In fact Mia refers to Dom as her only brother in Fast & Furious.

F9: The Fast Saga marked a significant shift in tone and style, introducing a new level of emotional depth and complexity to the series.

With the release of Fast Forever, the franchise is expected to conclude its 25-year run, but fans are already speculating about a potential spinoff or reboot. The future of the Fast and the Furious franchise remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: the series has left an indelible mark on popular culture.

The franchise’s impact can be seen in its influence on other action films and TV shows, as well as its ability to bring together diverse audiences and create a sense of community around the series.

As the Fast and the Furious franchise comes to a close, fans are left to reflect on its legacy and the impact it has had on the world of cinema and beyond.