While it once seemed like an impossible prospect, Fast X Part 2, the 11th installment in the Fast and Furious franchise, may bring back Paul Walker’s character, Brian O’Conner. Brian was one of the franchise’s leading characters, and his arc was cut short after Paul Walker tragically passed away in a car crash in 2013.
But recent hints from Vin Diesel, along with the setup for the final installment, suggest that the team may attempt to bring Brian back for one last ride.
Here’s how Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner could return in Fast X: Part 2
There are a couple of ways the Fast and Furious franchise could bring back Brian. The most convenient way of doing this would be to use CGI to resurrect Paul Walker’s character, who is retired in the franchise according to the storyline. The seventh film used CGI to complete some sequences after Paul Walker died in the middle of the shoot.
So, the same technology could bring the character back in the eleventh film. It would make a lot of sense as the franchise is aiming to go back to its roots. Brian’s return to the streets would make for a great comeback for the franchise.
Moreover, the cliffhanger ending of Fast X also provides a fitting entry point for Paul Walker’s character.
Of course, the franchise could also bring Brian back by recasting the role, but this is less likely given Walker’s history as the character.
One of the major issues in bringing Paul Walker’s character back will be the fact that the franchise gave him an honorable send-off. Bringing him back could simply ruin the ending of Fast and Furious 7 and Paul Walker’s legacy in the franchise.
However, Vin Diesel said in an appearance at FuelFest that among his three conditions for doing the final film, one included reuniting Dom and Brian. So, whatever the 11th film does with the character, it will be interesting to see.
