The 2013 death of Fast and Furious franchise actor Paul Walker forced the series’ creative team to bring an end to his character’s arc in 2015’s Furious 7. However, a new report suggests that the story of former police officer Brian O’Conner might not be entirely over.
Could some sort of return for Walker’s character be in the works for future installments of the franchise?
According to one of Walker’s brothers, that could indeed be the case.
“I had a phone call with Vin [Diesel] for about an hour and we really discussed this a while back,” Walker’s brother Caleb recently told Entertainment Tonight. “He wanted [our] blessing.”
According to Caleb Walker, he and Diesel discussed when it “would be acceptable to maybe bring Paul’s character back … to really kind of let his fans know he’s still out there.”
“Universal wants to make sure to be respectful of Paul and his image, too, and his family,” he added.
Although we’re unlikely to see Walker’s character, Brian O’Conner, return in the upcoming Fast 8 when it hits theaters in 2017, future installments of the series are still in the early stages of development, as well as rumored spinoff projects based in the franchise’s fast-paced universe. After Fast 8 premieres in April 2017, a ninth film is scheduled to hit theaters two years later, and a 10th film in 2021. A prequel movie — which is most likely to be the one that brings Walker’s character back — is also reportedly in development.
Brothers Caleb and Cody Walker famously assisted in the filming of Furious 7 after Paul Walker’s death in November 2013 before filming had completed on the movie.
Directed by F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton), Fast 8 hits theaters April 14, 2017. The first full-length trailer for the film is expected to debut in December.
