Paul Walker’s Brother Refuses To Return as Brian O’Conner in Fast Forever, Says AI Could Resurrect Him

As the final chapter of a massive film franchise approaches, fans continue to wonder how the story will handle a beloved character whose actor passed away years ago.

While recent discussions suggest advanced digital technology could fill the gap, Cody Walker has said any decision about bringing Brian O'Conner back should be guided by what Paul Walker's daughter, Meadow, wants. The future of one of cinema's most famous modern roles remains uncertain as creators weigh digital possibilities.

Although Vin Diesel has repeatedly expressed his desire to feature Brian O'Conner in Fast Forever, the upcoming project is not expected to involve Paul Walker's brothers as body doubles.

Paul Walker's Brothers Won't Return

Following Paul Walker's fatal 2013 car crash during the making of 'Furious 7', production relied on his siblings Cody and Caleb—alongside actor John Brotherton—to act as body doubles for the rest of the shoot. Visual-effects artists then used digital effects to recreate Walker's likeness over the stand-ins.

During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cody Walker confirmed that neither he nor his brother Caleb plans to step in as body doubles for the franchise's upcoming conclusion. He noted that advanced artificial intelligence could serve as the solution to bringing Brian O'Conner back instead.

Meadow Walker Has the Final Say

Stressing that he believes the decision should ultimately reflect the wishes of Paul's daughter, Cody explained, 'My stance is, it's what Meadow [Paul's daughter] wants to see done; it's her father.' (Meadow previously made a cameo appearance in Fast X, and Vin Diesel famously walked her down the aisle when she got married.)

Rejecting any personal involvement in a potential revival, Cody added, '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.'

AI Could Bring Brian O'Conner Back

Highlighting modern digital alternatives, he noted, 'But 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'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.'

Back in 2018, the siblings expressed optimism that a method might emerge to bring Walker's character back to the screen, despite initial reports indicating that the studio planned to retire Brian O'Conner. Yet, as loyal viewers are well aware, reality ultimately took a different path.

Within the fictional universe of the car-chase saga, Brian O'Conner remains alive. Viewers last saw him driving away with Mia Toretto at the end of 'Furious 7' to build a quiet life away from the crew.

While subsequent sequels kept his memory alive through passing mentions and off-screen nods, the production team resisted showing him on screen again until a surprise tease during the final moments of 'F9: The Fast Saga'.

During 'F9: The Fast Saga', Mia leaves Brian to watch their children and Dom Toretto's son while she helps stop their renegade brother, Jakob. At a final family dinner, an empty chair awaits a late arrival. A familiar blue Nissan Skyline—Brian's signature car from past films—pulls into the driveway before the scene cuts to black, heavily implying that Brian is still connected to the family and could return.

Vin Diesel Wants Brian Back

Vin Diesel has repeatedly stressed the importance of featuring Brian O'Conner one final time in Fast Forever, which is scheduled for release on 17 March 2028 and is being directed by Louis Leterrier. Diesel previously told Total Film in 2023 that he cannot envision the narrative concluding without a proper farewell to the character.

Diesel has since continued to signal that Brian's return is important to the franchise's final chapter, although it remains unclear how the character would appear on screen.

The upcoming finale is expected to bring the long-running franchise back towards its street-racing roots, while its cast and story details continue to develop.