Vin Diesel Confirms Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner Will Return for the FAST & FURIOUS Finale in 2027
Vin Diesel just gave Fast & Furious fans a moment to remember during his surprise appearance at FuelFest in Southern California over the weekend.
While standing in front of a cheering crowd, he officially confirmed that the franchise finale is locked in for an April 2027 release, and that it will bring back Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner.
Diesel also revealed that the final installment will return to the streets of Los Angeles, the same city where it all began 25 years ago. Diesel previously said:
“Los Angeles needs it now more than ever… Los Angeles is where Fast and Furious started filming 25 years ago… and now Fast will finally return home.”
But the headline-grabber came when Diesel confirmed the return of Brian O’Conner, the character made iconic by Walker, who tragically passed away in a car accident in 2013.
Walker starred alongside Diesel in the original 2001 film and appeared in five more entries before his death. Diesel said:
“To be able to bring Brian back in the finale means everything.”
Though Diesel didn’t go into details about how Brian’s return will be executed, the franchise has previously used a combination of visual effects and body doubles—primarily Walker’s brothers Cody and Caleb—to honor his legacy, most notably in Furious 7.
That film, which also opened in April, remains the highest-grossing installment to date, raking in more than $1.5 billion worldwide.
This new chapter, often referred to as Fast X: Part 2, is positioned as the grand finale to one of the most successful franchises in movie history.
Diesel has long pushed for Universal to finalize a release plan, especially following Fast X, which brought in over $700 million globally. His persistence seems to have paid off.
Christina Hodson (The Flash, Bumblebee) and Oren Uziel (The Lost City, 22 Jump Street) are co-writing the script. It was also previously confirmed that Fast X director Louis Leterrier is returning to direct.
What do you think about bringing Walker’s character back for the big finale?