Paul Walker Could Return as Brian in ‘Fast Forever’ Using AI, His Brother Says

The return of Brian O’Conner has become one of the biggest questions surrounding the final ‘Fast & Furious’ movie, but Paul Walker’s brother Cody Walker has made one thing very clear: he does not want to play his brother again.

Cody previously helped finish Paul Walker’s final scenes in ‘Furious 7’ after the actor died during production in 2013. More than a decade later, the franchise is preparing for its final chapter, ‘Fast Forever,’ and Vin Diesel has already teased that Brian will somehow be part of the story. That has led to plenty of questions about how the character could appear without Paul Walker.

Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Cody explained that he would leave the decision to Paul’s daughter, Meadow Walker. “My stance is, it’s what Meadow wants to see done; it’s her father,” he said. Cody also made it clear that he does not want to repeat the experience of standing in for his brother.

“I would not be interested in doing that again. I love the way his character exited the franchise,” Cody said. He pointed out that Brian was not killed off at the end of ‘Furious 7.’ Instead, the character was given a peaceful goodbye as he drove away from Dom Toretto, leaving his life as part of the crew behind.

For Cody, that ending still works. “They didn’t kill him off; they didn’t do something cheesy like that. It’s beautiful; [Brian] is off raising his kids,” he added. That seems to suggest that he would rather see the character’s original farewell respected instead of bringing him back simply because the technology now makes it possible.

If Universal does decide to put Brian back on screen, Cody believes there is another option. He says modern AI and the huge amount of unused footage featuring Paul could make a return possible without requiring Cody or his other brother Caleb to act as body doubles.

“But if they want to do that, if Meadow would like to see that, they don’t need me or Caleb,” Cody told Entertainment Weekly. “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.”

That would be very different from what happened with ‘Furious 7.’ At the time, Cody and Caleb helped the production complete scenes that Paul had not finished. Digital effects were also used to help recreate his appearance and complete Brian’s final moments. The result allowed the movie to give the character an emotional ending while also paying tribute to Walker.

Now, technology has changed dramatically. AI could potentially allow filmmakers to create new footage using Paul’s likeness, although such a move would bring its own questions. The biggest issue may not be whether Hollywood can make Brian look real again, but whether bringing him back is actually the right choice.

Vin Diesel has already made it clear that he wants Brian involved in the franchise’s final story. During a 2025 FuelFest event, Diesel talked about returning the series to Los Angeles and its street-racing roots. He also teased the idea of reuniting Dom and Brian before the story comes to an end.

Universal has announced ‘Fast Forever’ for March 17, 2028, but the studio has not revealed exactly how Brian will appear. Meadow Walker’s wishes could also play an important role in the decision, especially because Paul Walker’s image and legacy are involved.

For fans, this leaves the franchise with a difficult choice. Brian remains one of the most important characters in the series, but his goodbye in ‘Furious 7’ was also one of its most emotional moments. Cody Walker clearly believes that ending should be respected.

If Brian does return in ‘Fast Forever,’ it sounds like Cody will not be the person bringing him back. Instead, the filmmakers may have to rely on old footage, new technology, and the approval of Paul’s family to decide what the character’s final appearance should look like.

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