- Primary Subject: Paul Walker / Brian O'Conner (Fast & Furious 11: Fast Forever)
- Key Update: Cody Walker expressed disinterest in digitally recreating Paul Walker for Fast 11, stating any return decision rests solely with Paul's daughter, Meadow.
- Status: Confirmed
- Last Verified: September 11, 2026
- Quick Answer: Cody Walker does not support bringing Paul Walker back, but says Fast 11 studio execs only need daughter Meadow's approval for CGI.
Paul Walker’s brother, Cody Walker, reacts to the potential return of the late actor as Brian O'Conner in the 11th and final Fast & Furious movie, Fast Forever.
Vin Diesel earlier teased a reunion between his character, Dominic Toretto, and Brian in Fast 11, making it one of his conditions for the finale movie to be released in 2027.
But as this actually depends on the Walker family, Cody can’t help but share his two cents about it.
Will Paul Walker Appear in Fast & Furious 11?
Paul Walker tragically died in a car crash in 2013 while filming Furious 7. As the cast and crew found a way to feature the actor by using his real-life brothers, Cody and Caleb Walker, and their visuals with advanced CGI face-swapping technology to complete the film with Paul still in it, the two were transformed to portray Brian O'Conner.
This made Paul’s scene pulling up next to Vin Diesel’s Dominic a symbolic send-off for both the actor and the character, who was ultimately written out of the franchise by making it appear that he had retired to raise his kids with Dom’s sister, Mia (Jordana Brewster).
As this made him still alive when the next three movies happened, it leaves the door open for his possible return. So now that the franchise is about to come to an end, is it possible for Paul to appear in the final movie? As for Cody, he didn’t see the need for Paul’s return to the franchise.
“I would not be interested in doing that again. I love the way his character exited the franchise,” Cody told Entertainment Weekly. “They didn’t kill him off; they didn’t do something cheesy like that. It’s beautiful; [Brian] is off raising his kids.”
Cody also stressed that it would not be up to Diesel or the film’s cast and crew to decide; it would depend on his brother’s daughter, Meadow's decision if she wanted her father to be in the film.
“My stance is, it’s what Meadow wants to see done; it’s her father,” he said. “If they want to do that, if Meadow would like to see that, they don’t need me or Caleb.”
How Could Paul Walker’s Brian O’Conner Return in Fast & Furious 11?
While it still depends on Meadow if she would agree to allow Paul Walker’s image to appear again in Fast & Furious 11, there are several ways Vin Diesel and the movie’s creative team can do it.
For one, they can use archive footage from previous Fast & Furious movies. In fact, Cody Walker also revealed that there were “years of footage that was never used” from the other films.
He could also appear through a flashback scene using that existing footage instead of physically bringing him into the present-day storyline.
But for a proper and more emotional sendoff, a tribute rather than a full return could work, putting him in the finale through a short scene or montage that acknowledges his continued life with Mia and their children.
All this could work using a combination of existing footage and CGI. And as Cody put it, “They’re the best in the business; they can figure that out.”
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