While on break from the filming of FURIOUS 7, Paul Walker tragically died in a car accident. The project went on hiatus while they figured out what to do about the remainder of the film and ultimately it was decided that production would resume and keep the sequences Walker had already completed. Paul Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, stepped in help finish their brother's scenes and, with some CG assistance, the character of Brian O'Conner was given a surprisingly tender send-off.
As this is Hollywood we're talking about, they're not about to let a little thing like death stand in the way of a deceased actor returning to the big-screen. While speaking with Entertainment Tonight, Caleb and Cody revealed that it's possible that Brian O'Conner could return in a future FAST & FURIOUS flick.
"I had a phone call with Vin for about an hour and we really discussed this a while back. He wanted [our] blessing," Caleb said, adding that Diesel asked if and when they thought it "would be acceptable to maybe bring Paul's character back… to really kind of let his fans know he's still out there."
Cody Walker added that "Universal wants to make sure to be respectful of Paul and his image too, and his family." The main franchise is set to conclude with the tenth FAST & FURIOUS film in 2021 and there must be a temptation to check in with Brian O'Conner once more before the whole saga wraps up. I can't imagine that Vin Diesel and company would handle the potential return of Paul Walker's character disrespectfully, but given the lovely way they wrapped up his arc in FURIOUS 7, I'd hope that they wouldn't ruin that moment by pointlessly bringing him back. The next film in the franchihse, FAST 8, is set for a April 14, 2017 release.
Would you like to see Brian O'Conner return once more?