Vin Diesel surprised fans by announcing that in the final Fast & Furious film, his character, Dominic Toretto, will reunite with Brian O’Conner, the role originally played by the late Paul Walker.
Speaking onstage at FuelFest in Southern California alongside Fast and Furious co-stars Tyrese Gibson and Cody Walker. Diesel addressed the crowd and revealed what fans can expect from the franchise’s final film. He also confirmed a tentative release window of April 2027.
Diesel has appeared in every installment of the franchise except one since the 2001 original.
“The studio asked me, ‘Vin, can we please release the finale of Fast and Furious in April 2027?’” Diesel told fans. “I agreed—under three conditions. First, we bring the franchise back to L.A. Second, we return to car culture and street racing. And third, we reunite Dom and Brian O’Conner.”
Diesel didn’t clarify how the film plans to bring back Brian O’Conner. Walker starred with Diesel in the original and appeared in five installments before he was killed in a car crash in November 2013 at age 40. If Brian does return, the filmmakers would likely use digital technology to recreate Walker’s likeness.
Fast X and Fast X2
The most recent entry in the franchise, Fast X, hit theaters in May 2023 and earned over $700 million worldwide, despite a massive $340 million production budget.
The film starred Diesel, Alan Ritchson, Jason Momoa, Michelle Rodriguez, Rita Moreno, and Brie Larson. Marketed as the first part of a two-part saga, Fast X set the stage for Fast 11, though it remains unclear whether the next film will directly continue the story after the long delay.
Diesel has repeatedly advocated for setting the film in Los Angeles, just like the original. Following the devastating wildfires in L.A. earlier this year, Diesel emphasized the importance of keeping production in the city.
“Los Angeles needs it now more than ever… Los Angeles is where Fast and Furious started filming 25 years ago… and now Fast will finally return home,” he wrote on Instagram. “All love…”
Will it go back to where they all started? Fans can hope, after it all about the family.
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