Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner won't be around for "Fast 8" after rumored CGI appearances, but another legit Walker is joining the gang. Welcome, Cody?
The next installment to the growing "Fast and the Furious" franchise has been officially dubbed "Fast 8" by none other than Vin Diesel (Dom Toretto) himself and it's not the only update so far. While previous reports have revealed that the late Paul Walker has said his final goodbyes as Brian O'Conner in "Furious 7," there's still a possibility that his character will return to "Fast 8."
While the speculations of CGI involvement in the appearance of Paul Walker in "Fast 8" remains to be growing, it has already been settled late last year by "Fast 8" showrunners. In an interview with Variety, NBC chairman Ron Meyer revealed simply that while Paul Walker's appearance is likely, it won't be CGI-riddled.
"Paul won't be in it, but he'll be represented in some form or another but whether his image is in it, I can't tell you yet, but he won't be in the film as a performer, as an actor, the way we did it last time," revealed Meyer. "It will still be 'Fast and Furious,' it will just be without Paul," he added.
Apart from Paul Walker returning to "Fast 8," it also has been pointed out that his brother, Cody Walker, who portrayed a cameo role in "Furious 7" as a stand-in for Paul Walker, is also rumored to be not only returning to "Fast 8" but also is speculated to portray his own character this time.
MovieNewsGuide pointed out the possibility after Cody Walker's name was initially found in the IMDB page for "Fast 8" but has since been taken down. There are a lot of possibilities for his character, including as a brother to Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner, which makes sense if indeed, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) returns to "Fast 8."
Meanwhile, according to a report by Deadline, "Fast 8" star Vin Diesel and patriarch figure of the racing family in the franchise, not only is the next installment titled simply "Fast 8," but the next adventure will return to its roots. No official plot synopsis has been announced, but the poster does confirm previous reports that Fast 8 will take place at least partly in New York City.
