Vin Diesel has publicly expressed his desire to see the character of Brian O’Conner return for the final installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, a sentiment that may be realized through artificial intelligence rather than the direct involvement of Paul Walker's brothers. Cody Walker, Paul's brother, stated that he and his sibling Caleb would not reprise their roles as body doubles for the late actor.
Following Paul Walker's death in 2013 during the production of Furious 7, his brothers Cody and Caleb, along with actor John Brotherton, stood in for him. Visual effects were later employed to superimpose Paul Walker's likeness onto the stand-ins. However, Cody Walker conveyed to Entertainment Weekly that he and Caleb are not inclined to repeat this process for the franchise's planned finale. Instead, he proposed that AI technology could facilitate Brian O’Conner's digital return.
Cody Walker emphasized that any decision regarding the character's depiction rests with Meadow Walker, Paul's daughter. "My stance is, it’s what Meadow [Paul’s daughter] wants to see done; it’s her father," he explained. He further elaborated on his personal feelings about the character's exit, stating, "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."
Should the filmmakers opt to bring Brian O’Conner back, Cody suggested they would not require his or Caleb's assistance. "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 films. They’re the best in the business, they can figure that out," he noted.
Previously, in 2018, the Walker brothers had expressed optimism about finding a way to reintegrate Paul Walker's character into the series, even as earlier reports indicated the franchise would retire Brian O’Conner. The narrative, however, evolved. Fast 9 director Justin Lin confirmed that Brian O’Conner remains alive within the Fast universe. At the conclusion of Furious 7, Brian and his partner Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) leave their illicit activities behind to raise their family. While Walker's presence is felt in subsequent films and Brian and Mia are referenced, the character himself did not make a direct on-screen appearance until the final scene of Fast 9.
In Fast 9, Mia rejoins her brother Dom (Vin Diesel) and the team to confront their estranged brother, Jakob (John Cena). Mia informs Dom that Brian is looking after Dom’s young son, also named Brian, and their own children while she is away. The film culminates in a family dinner at Dom's Los Angeles home, where an empty seat signifies an anticipated arrival. The scene then shifts to a familiar blue Nissan Skyline, a car previously driven by Brian, pulling into the driveway before cutting to black. Though the driver is unseen, the implication is clear: Brian O’Conner has returned to his family.
Vin Diesel has been vocal about the importance of Brian O’Conner's return for the saga's conclusion, which he has stated will revisit the franchise's street racing origins. "I couldn’t imagine this saga ending without truly saying goodbye to Brian O’Conner," Diesel told Total Film in 2023. He announced in January that the sequel to Fast X, titled Fast Forever, is slated for release on March 17, 2028.
Fast Forever will be directed by Louis Leterrier, who also helmed Fast X. The latter film received mixed reviews and marked the lowest-grossing entry in the franchise. Fast X also featured surprise cameos from Dwayne Johnson as Luke Hobbs and Gal Gadot as Gisele Yashar, suggesting their potential return in the upcoming finale.