At a recent Fuel Fest event in the US, Vin Diesel reunited with Fast & Furious co-stars Tyrese Gibson and Cody Walker and took the opportunity to speak directly to fans about the much-anticipated final chapter in the long-running action franchise. According to Variety, Diesel teased a major emotional moment: the possible return of Paul Walker’s beloved character, Brian O’Conner, in Fast & Furious 11. Naturally, the internet had a lot to say about it.
For those unfamiliar, Paul Walker played the role of Brian, a cop-turned-street-racer, from the very first film. The actor tragically passed away in a car crash in 2013, before Furious 7 was completed. His character was last seen driving into the sunset in a poignant send-off.
Vin Diesel hints at Brian O’Connor’s comeback in Fast & Furious 11
Standing before a crowd of enthusiastic fans, Vin Diesel revealed that the studio is eyeing an April 2027 release for the grand finale. More significantly, he laid out three personal conditions for the film: “The studio said to me, Vin, can we please have the finale of Fast and Furious [in] April 2027? I said, under three conditions. First, is to bring the franchise back to LA! The second thing was to return to the car culture, to the street racing! The third thing was reuniting Dom and Brian O’Connor.”
With Diesel’s recent comments, fans are now speculating whether Brian’s return will be through CGI, unused footage, or possibly even AI recreation.
Netizens react to Vin Diesel’s remark on Paul Walker’s return to Fast & Furious 11
The response online has been deeply divided. Some fans are calling for the franchise to let Walker’s character rest, with comments like, “Bruh whyyy, he had such a great send off. Let him rest in peace,” and “The final Fast & Furious movie was Furious 7 when the white car drove away while Charlie Puth and Wiz Khalifa were singing See You Again.”
Others voiced concerns about diminishing the emotional impact of that iconic moment: “See You Again part 2?” one user questioned, while another bluntly put it, “Fast & Furious: The Conjuring.”
A few pushed back against the idea entirely, calling it exploitative: “Enough is enough. There’s a fine line between grief and missing someone and being obsessed and exploitative,” read one pointed comment.
Yet, not everyone was upset. Several fans expressed joy at the possibility of honouring Walker’s legacy one last time. “Great call — he was a huge part of the franchise. He absolutely needs to be included in the final movie in some way. It wouldn’t be right if he wasn’t,” wrote one Instagram user.
The franchise began with The Fast and the Furious in 2001 and has since become a global box office phenomenon. The most recent film, Fast X, released in May 2023, earned over $700 million worldwide. With Fast X positioned as part one of a two-part finale, the upcoming eleventh instalment is expected to wrap up the saga, with or without Brian O’Connor behind the wheel.
