Summary

• Alan Ritchson’s role in
  Fast X
  needs a fundamental overhaul to avoid becoming another typical action movie villain.
• Ritchson’s potential as an actor was not fully realized in his boring portrayal of Aimes, compared to his outstanding performance in
  The Ministry of Unfriendly Warfare
  .
• Fast & Furious 11
  needs to step up and give the character Ritchson a bigger, more exciting role and move away from his previous boring image.

Alan Ritchson’s role must change in Fast X: Part 2 after his boring debut in Fast Xand a 2024 action film provides a blueprint for his character’s new direction. Alan Ritchson has become one of the most recognizable faces in action thanks to his breakout role as Jack Reacher in the Amazon Prime series Gripperbased on the novel series by Lee Child. So it was only logical that he was the latest action star to enter the world of The Fast and the Furiouswhat he called Aimes in Fast X.

With Fast X: Part 2or Almost 11already in production, Ritchson’s character Aimes must answer for his treacherous switch at the end of Fast X. This gives the franchise a unique opportunity to make a major change to the character, who was portrayed as the leader of the shady Agency organization before he was revealed to be a double agent working with Dante Reyes. It would be in the best interest of the character – and the franchise in general – if the plan for Aimes in Almost 11 is partly based on another action film by Alan Ritchson.

Alan Ritchson is a standout performer in the Ministry of Unforgiving Warfare after his boring debut in Fast & Furious

His cheerfully violent Anders Lassen was a fan favorite

Through no fault of Ritchson, the character of Aimes somehow fell flat in Fast Xas he was another in a long line of interchangeable villains in the franchise. A super-smart, well-connected genius at hand-to-hand combat and manipulation can be used to describe Luke Evans’ Owen Shaw, Jason Statham’s Deckard Shaw, or Idris Elba’s Brixton Lore, all of whom have faced off against Dom Toretto and his crew in the past. Fast Movies. While such a character might be suitable for another movie, In a franchise that now includes 11 films, “Aimes” felt like a repetition.

Aimes’ revenge campaign against Dom Toretto and his crew goes back to the safe robbery and the death of Hernan Reyes at the end of
Fast Five
.

Aimes also seemed like a huge waste of Alan Ritchson’s potential. Guy Ritchie’s The Ministry of Unfriendly Warfare Ritchson played a supporting role as Anders Lassen, a Nazi-hating British commando from World War II. In the film, Ritchson’s Lassen took great delight in inflicting exaggerated violence on the enemies he encountered, and Ritchson played him with an almost hilarious manner as he dismembered Nazis. He was not only the most action-packed star, but Ritchson was really funny in the role. In comparison, his role as Aimes in Fast X feels downright boring and unoriginal.

Fast & Furious 11 needs to give Alan Ritchson a bigger and better role

He can’t remain another typical Fast & Furious villain

Almost 11 is in a unique position considering where the series’ overarching narrative stands. At the end of Fast XAimes had just revealed himself to be a long-time ally of Dante Reyes and had apparently murdered several members of Dom Toretto’s extended “family.” Given the massive turn to villainy, It’s easy to dismiss Aimes’ boring personality as part of his cover as a double agentand he can completely change his personality from now on, as he is himself.

Alan Ritchson was actually a contestant in season 3 of
American Idol
; he made it to the Hollywood round, but did not make it into the final 32 contestants in that season.

Whether they commit to a personality change or not, Fast X: Part 2 needs to find a better role for Ritchson’s Aimes. Instead of being another big, strong, generic action movie villain, the franchise needs to lean on Aimes’ shocking (probably attempted) murders and build him up as a legitimate “final boss” level villain. As it stands, he is little more than a sycophant of the sociopathic Dante Reyes played by Jason Momoaand that is a huge waste of Ritchson’s potential as an actor, as proven by The Ministry of Unfriendly Warfare.