Paul Walker’s brother, Cody Walker, has commented on the controversial idea of resurrecting the Fast & Furious star through AI. The actor last appeared in Furious 7, with the final moments of the film using visual effects to show the actor in an emotional farewell. In the age of AI, the possibility of bringing back Walker for Fast 11 is high, and Cody has revealed why the idea could spark controversy.
“My stance is, it’s what Meadow wants to see done; it’s her father,” Cody told Entertainment Weekly, speaking of Paul’s daughter, who appeared in Fast X. “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. 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.”
How Paul Walker’s death changed the Fast & Furious franchise forever
During the production of Furious 7, Walker died in a car accident. As a result, Universal Pictures delayed the film, with the filmmakers rewriting the arc for Walker’s Brian O’Conner. Instead of killing him off-screen, director James Wan and his team decided to honor the actor by retiring the character on-screen. The filmmakers used his brother, Caleb, and Cody as stand-ins for the actor’s digital recreation, along with archival footage. For this, the film’s original ending had to be reshaped, with its entire third act reworked.
While Walker’s character has not reappeared in the franchise, the movies have continued to reference him. In Fast X, his daughter, Meadow Walker, made a cameo appearance. On the 25th anniversary of the first film, franchise star Vin Diesel paid tribute to the late actor in an emotional speech.
Furious 7 remains the franchise’s highest-grossing film, collecting over $1.5 billion worldwide. Fast 11 is planned to be its final installment. The franchise is set to get many more expansions in the future.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
