Apart from the franchise's other original cast members, Paul Walker has also been a key reason why the Fast & Furious franchise has been one of the most beloved and successful in the movie business, with nine installments over the course of its decade-long popularity. That is why the franchise's newest director, Louis Leterrier, still incorporated Walker's character in the upcoming sequel, Fast X—as is the case in the previous installments—explaining that "Brian is very much alive in the Fast & Furious world."
Despite Walker's untimely passing prior to the release of Furious 7, Brian has remained in the saga, living a happy retirement, thanks to the wonders of CGI and the late actor's two brothers acting as body doubles during filming. Now that the franchise is racing towards the finish line, the director sat down with TotalFilm and addressed his thoughts on bringing Brian back in the upcoming sequel. He said:
"Well, Brian is very much alive in the world of Fast & Furious, and they’ve teased him a lot in the previous movies. In 9, we see the car coming. It’s something that is planned. This movie jumps back and forth between the past and the present. You will see Brian in the past, you won’t see Brian in the present. It’s something that everybody has to be on board with. The Walker family is still very much a part of this franchise, you’ll see how in this movie. It just has to be the right moment, the right tone."
The director also cited what James Wan did on the franchise's seventh installment, adding that "Brian has to re-enter the franchise as perfectly as he left it." Fast & Furious has come a long way since its street racing origins in 2001, delivering an exciting joyride over the course of nine films. Now that the tenth installment and the penultimate chapter is on the way, new members of the family will be introduced, as well as the newest villain who will cause havoc in the beloved franchise.
Since the franchise's inception in 2001, it has been a huge success, bringing in $6.6 billion in revenue. Furious 7, the seventh installment, came in at number ten on the list of all-time top-grossing movies. As Vin Diesel's character often emphasizes, the Fast & Furious films are all about family. And the family (or enemies) isn't getting any smaller, with Rita Moreno, Brie Larson, and Jason Momoa appearing as new characters in Fast X, each with a totally distinctive connection to the larger narrative.
Apart from Diesel reprising his role as Dominic Toretto, other original cast members will also return, including Michelle Rodriguez (Letty Ortiz), Jordana Brewster (Mia Toretto), Tyrese Gibson (Roman Pearce), Ludacris (Tej Parker), Sung Kang (Han Seoul-Oh), Nathalie Emmanuel (Ramsey), Charlize Theron (Cipher), Scott Eastwood (Little Nobody), Michael Rooker (Buddy), and John Cena (Jakob Toretto).
Fast X will be released on the big screen on May 19. Before we reach the end of the road, you can watch the trailer below.