Vin Diesel Wants Paul Walker's Fast & Furious Character to Return for Franchise Finale
Vin Diesel is making it clear that there's no Fast & Furious without Paul Walker.
The 57-year-old shared that one of his conditions for returning to the franchise for the eleventh movie—which is set to arrive in April 2027—would be that the story brings back his late costar’s character, Brian O’Conner.
“The first [condition] is to bring the franchise back to L.A.,” he stated on June 29 at Paul's brother Cody Walker's annual Fuel Fest automotive festival benefitting Paul’s charity Reach out Worldwide, which helps bring first responders to areas in need. “The second thing was to return to the car culture, to the street racing.”
He added, “The third thing was reuniting Dom and Brian O’Conner. That is what you’re going to get in the finale.”
Paul—who tragically died in 2013 in a car accident at age 40—passed away amid filming Fast & Furious 7, but the studio was able to end the film by having him say some final words and drive off by using a mix of technology and his brothers to make it happen. While Vin has since starred in three more of the films, he said that he started advocating for Paul's character to return in some capacity for the upcoming film after hearing viewer feedback, noting that he was "listening to my fan base."
While fans have requested for Paul's character to make a comeback in the finale, The Pacifier was also close friends with Paul. On what would have been Paul's 50th birthday, 10 years after his passing, Vin shared a message honoring his late costar.
“A decade… ten long years… and yet it feels like yesterday when we were singing happy birthday to you for the big 40!” he wrote on Instagram in September 2023. "The world isn’t the same brother… as a species, one might say we are struggling. But I think of you, and I smile and know everything is going to be alright."
Vin continued to share what a selfless person Paul was, reflecting on a trip they took together to Haiti in 2010.
"So as much as I would like to think we would be cutting cake and singing happy birthday for the big 50! We probably wouldn’t," he wrote, "cause you would be in Maui or Morocco, or anywhere in this planet where people were in need."
He concluded the post, "I miss you… I love you, and I will continue to honor the beautiful soul you are."
For more of the Fast & Furious stars through the years, read on.
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