The“Fast&Furious”franchise is getting ready to close a 25-year chapter, and the biggest question hanging over the finale is whether Brian O’Connor will be part of it. Paul Walker, who played Brian for over a decade, died in a 2013 car crash at age 40, midway through“Furious 7”production. His brothers Caleb and Cody stepped in as stand-ins to help finish that film, and the franchise made the choice to write Brian out raising his kids with Mia rather than killing the character off. Now, with Vin Diesel saying the final installment is targeted for April 2027 and one of his conditions being a Dom and Brian reunion, the conversation has come back around.
Cody Walker recently told Entertainment Weekly that he wouldn’t personally reprise his stand-in role, but he believes AI and unused footage from past films could bring Brian back. Just as important, he said the decision doesn’t belong to him, the studio, or the fans. It belongs to Paul’s daughter, Meadow.“My stance is, it’s what Meadow wants to see done; it’s her father,”Cody said.
That single sentence cuts through a lot of the noise around AI and celebrity likeness. The technology exists, and that genie isn’t going back in the bottle. The real question is consent, and who has the right to speak for someone who’s gone. Whatever the studio decides, Cody’s answer makes a strong case that the family comes first.
What do you think? Should AI ever be used to bring a deceased actor back to the screen, or should some roles stay retired?
About the Author
Ava Hart
Ava Hart is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.
