The Fast And The Furious' Alternate Ending Would've Changed Everything

While the "Fast & Furious" franchise came from humble beginnings, it's transcended cinema, taking a ragtag group of street racers and turning them into international super-spies. Family is still at the core of the series, but from its earliest days, it was almost a completely different movie.  

Originally, "The Fast and the Furious" looked entirely different, with a Brooklyn setting and an all-white cast. Thanks to David Ayer, Universal shifted gears to the streets of sunny Los Angeles and diversified the Toretto gang. Even then, an alternate ending could've completely changed the trajectory of the franchise. 

The alternate ending sees Brian O'Connor (Paul Walker) return to the Toretto home, quitting the Los Angeles Police Department after aiding Dom's (Vin Diesel) escape. There he finds Mia (Jordana Brewster) packing up the garage and moving away from LA. She refuses to tell Brian Dom's location, but her demeanor changes when he informs her that he quit the LAPD. Brian doubles down on his commitment to their relationship as the camera pans to a shot of LA's skyline, seemingly teasing the two leaving the city together.

While Brian and Mia eventually become one of the franchise's power couples, the alternate ending implies that the Torettos left Los Angeles in their rearview mirror, selling their iconic family home for greener pastures. 

It may not seem like a massive change, but the house has become a staple of the "Fast & Furious" franchise, driving home its focus on family. Dom (Vin Diesel), Mia, and Jakob (John Cena) all grew up in the house, which Dom inherited after his father's death, making it a safe place for the Fast Family to meet. Most of the "Fast" movies end with a large family dinner at the Toretto house, so if they had sold it, none of those heartwarming moments would've happened. 

Ten movies later, the Toretto house has become its own character within the "Fast & Furious" universe. It means so much to Dom and the rest of the gang that Deckard Shaw (Jason Statham) blows it up because he knows how much it would hurt the family, leaving audiences feeling a similar loss when it happens in "Furious 7." The makeshift headquarters for the Fast Family is eventually rebuilt, with Dom and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) moving back in to raise Dom's son. If the alternate ending of "The Fast and the Furious" made the final cut, however, it would've cut out a piece of the franchise's heart.