Paul Walker may have left the ‘Fast & Furious‘ franchise more than a decade ago, but Brian O’Conner never technically went anywhere. With Fast Forever set to bring the long-running saga toward its final chapter and Vin Diesel repeatedly teasing Brian’s return, the possibility has once again become a major talking point.
Now, Walker’s brother Cody has made it clear where he stands on bringing the late actor back to the screen.
Paul Walker’s Brother Does Not Want To Recreate His Role
Walker died suddenly on November 30, 2013, leaving his family, Fast & Furious castmates, and millions of fans devastated. At the time, the actor had already completed around 85% of his scenes for Furious 7, leaving the production with the difficult task of finishing Brian O’Conner’s story without him.
Walker’s brothers Caleb and Cody stepped in to help complete the remaining scenes. The filmmakers then used CGI to superimpose Paul’s face onto his brothers for parts of the finished movie. Furious 7 ultimately gave Brian one of the franchise’s most memorable exits, as he and Dominic Toretto drove their separate ways while ‘See You Again’ played in the background.
More than a decade later, Cody Walker has little interest in repeating that process. Speaking about another possible appearance for Brian, he said, “I would not be interested in doing that again. I love the way his character exited the franchise. They didn’t kill him off; they didn’t do something cheesy like that. It’s beautiful; [Brian] is off raising his kids.”
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Brian O’Conner Is Still Alive In The Fast And Furious Universe
Brian’s ending left the door open in a pretty clever way. Instead of killing the character, the franchise established that he had stepped away from the action to raise his daughters alongside Mia Toretto. Brian therefore remains alive within the Fast & Furious universe even though audiences no longer see him physically joining Dom and the crew.
That detail has fuelled speculation about Fast Forever, the eleventh and final ‘Fast & Furious‘ movie. Technology has also come a long way since Furious 7, particularly with the rise of artificial intelligence and increasingly advanced visual effects. Add Vin Diesel repeatedly promising that he wants Brian O’Conner back, and fans have plenty of reasons to wonder whether one last reunion could actually happen.
Cody, however, believes the decision should ultimately belong to Paul’s daughter, Meadow Walker, who is now 27. Rather than asking him or Caleb to step in again, he feels Meadow should decide whether her father’s image is used for another Fast & Furious appearance.
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Cody Walker Says The Franchise Has Enough Footage To Bring Paul Back
Cody also acknowledged that filmmakers would no longer need the same process they relied on while completing Furious 7. Modern technology could potentially allow the studio to create an appearance using existing footage of Paul without requiring his brothers to serve as stand-ins again.
“If they want to do that, if Meadow would like to see that, they don’t need me or Caleb. AI was not a thing back in 2014, so they could do that. There are years of footage that was never used from these other Fast films. They’re the best in the business; they can figure that out,” said Cody Walker.
For now, nothing confirms exactly how Brian could appear in Fast Forever. Still, the character’s continued existence within the franchise makes a return possible without undoing the emotional farewell that Furious 7 gave Paul Walker. Cody’s comments also draw a pretty clear line; if the franchise does bring Brian back, Paul’s family, especially Meadow, should have a meaningful say in how it happens.
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