Cody Walker says he won't help revive Paul Walker's Brian for the final 'Fast & Furious' film

Cody Walker's refusal to reprise the stand-in role

Cody Walker has told Entertainment Weekly that he will not be involved if Paul Walker's character Brian O'Conner is brought back for the planned 11th and final installment of the "Fast & Furious" series. In the interview published September 9, 2026, Cody framed his decision around the late actor's daughter, Meadow Walker, saying: "My stance is, it's what Meadow wants to see done; it's her father. 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."

The brothers Cody and Caleb Walker had previously stepped in to complete Paul Walker's remaining scenes as stand-ins after Paul Walker died in a car accident during a break from production on Furious 7 in 2013. Cody also noted that contemporary visual-effects tools could now be used to resurrect Brian from unused footage, telling EW: "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." Reporting from Entertainment Weekly and coverage echoed by Gizmodo's io9 vertical framed Cody's remarks as effectively closing the door on his participation while leaving open the possibility of a CGI-driven return.

Vin Diesel's plan for a Dom-Brian reunion

Cody Walker's comments come against the backdrop of Vin Diesel's public campaign for a Brian comeback in the series finale. Speaking at the Fuel Fest event run by Cody in 2025, Diesel outlined what he said were three conditions the studio had asked him to set for the last film: bringing the franchise back to Los Angeles, returning it to street racing and car culture, and "reuniting Dom and Brian O'Conner," as quoted in Entertainment Weekly's reporting. Diesel described that promise to fans, saying "That is what you're going to get in the finale."

The final installment, titled "Fast Forever," is currently dated to open in theaters on March 17, 2028, according to EW. Cody said he remains in contact with Diesel but does not yet know how the Brian question will be resolved, telling the outlet: "I have no idea what to expect there. I talked to Vin, and when it comes to this whole process, he gets very ethereal; it's a lot of weight." The Washington Times and io9 also picked up Cody's stance, with the Washington Times headline stating that the late actor's brother "won't help revive" the character.

Prior openness from the Walker brothers

The current refusal marks a shift from earlier statements in which Cody and Caleb Walker had suggested they could be involved in bringing Brian back. Following the release of 2017's "The Fate of the Furious," the first "Fast" film made without Paul Walker, both brothers publicly expressed interest in a cameo-style return to continue the character's legacy, as detailed in Entertainment Weekly's account. Caleb said at the time, "I just hope we get to have a little cameo and bring Paul back to save the day and I get to help create that again," with Cody adding that "there could potentially be a way to do it. But it would take a lot of thought and it'd have to be tasteful." Since then, the franchise has acknowledged Brian's continued existence only through brief, indirect nods without showing the character on screen.

The studio has not publicly commented on Cody Walker's latest remarks or confirmed how — or whether — Brian O'Conner will appear in "Fast Forever." The next verifiable milestone is the film's currently scheduled release on March 17, 2028, with further casting or production announcements from Universal likely to precede that date.