Vin Diesel is pushing to resurrect Paul Walker for the final Fast and Furious film, but the late actor’s family is drawing a hard line
The thing with legacies.
The question of whether we will see Brian O’Conner one last time in the upcoming Fast Forever is becoming a major point of tension behind the scenes. According to Variety, while Vin Diesel has been very vocal about his desire to reunite Dom and Brian for the franchise finale, possibly with AI, the late Paul Walker’s brother, Cody Walker, is making it clear that he won’t be involved in such an effort.
The final installment of the massive film series, titled Fast Forever, is scheduled to hit theaters on March 17, 2028. For many fans, the idea of seeing Brian O’Conner on screen again is something they’ve dreamed about since his character received a heartfelt sendoff at the end of Furious 7. However, Cody Walker’s recent comments suggest that if the studio decides to go down that path, they will have to do it without the help of Paul’s brothers.
Cody Walker recently opened up about his stance, noting that he is not interested in stepping in as a stunt double again. He shared that his perspective is centered on what is best for Paul’s daughter, Meadow. “My stance is, it’s what Meadow wants to see done; it’s her father,” he explained.
Cody Walker said he loved the way Brian O’Conner exited the franchise
However, he also recognized that technology has evolved significantly since 2014. “AI was not a thing back in 2014, so they could do that. There’s years of footage that was never used from these other Fast and Furious films. They’re the best in the business, they can figure that out.”
It’s interesting to look back at how much the sentiment has shifted over the years. Back in 2018, both Cody and Caleb Walker expressed a genuine interest in returning for a cameo to help honor their brother’s legacy. At that time, Caleb said, “I just hope we get to have a little cameo and bring Paul back to save the day and I get to help create that again.” Cody had agreed, stating, “I think there could potentially be a way to do it. But it would take a lot of thought and it’d have to be tasteful.”
Fast forward to now, and the conversation is being driven largely by Vin Diesel. In 2025, Diesel revealed the conditions he set for the studio regarding the final film. He told the team that he wanted to bring the franchise back to Los Angeles, return to the original street racing car culture, and reunite the characters of Dom and Brian. “That is what you’re going to get in the finale,” Diesel claimed.
The weight of this decision seems to be pressing heavily on Diesel
Cody Walker acknowledged that he has discussed the process with the star, noting that Diesel treats the material with deep seriousness. “I talked to Vin, and when it comes to this whole process, he gets very ethereal; it’s a lot of weight. The guy is incredible, he’s extremely gifted, he takes this very seriously and there’s a mountain on Vin’s shoulders. He wants this to be the best one and as good as it can be because it’s the final [one].”
The history of bringing Brian O’Conner back after Paul Walker’s passing in 2013 is a sensitive one. After the tragedy, production was put on an indefinite pause.
According to Entertainment Weekly, Tyrese Gibson, who plays Roman Pearce in the franchise, previously reflected on that difficult time, saying, “The first thing all of us were struggling with was, ‘What the hell are we doing here? What’s Fast & Furious without Paul?’ And are we going to come off as just a bunch of narcissists – deciding what Paul meant to the franchise, and saying, ‘We’re moving forward anyway’?”
Back then, the team went ahead with Cody, Caleb and John Brotherton
Eventually, the team decided to push forward, using Cody and Caleb Walker along with actor John Brotherton as stand-ins. Combined with cutting-edge visual effects for the time, they managed to complete the film and give Brian a beautiful, non-violent conclusion where he effectively retired to raise his children.
As we approach the release of Fast Forever, it remains unclear if the studio will choose to use the vast amount of unused footage or modern AI tools to bring Brian back. Cody Walker remains in the dark about the final creative choices, stating, “I have no idea what to expect there.”
Regardless of the technical possibilities, the family is clearly drawing a line regarding their own participation. It really brings up the conversation about the ethics of using digital recreations in cinema, especially when it involves such a beloved character. For now, we have to wait and see if the final product stays true to the character’s legacy or if the studio decides to lean into the technology at their disposal.
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