Although Paul Walker’s Brian was written out of the Fast and Furious franchise due to the tragic death of the actor, Chris Morgan’s script for The Fate of the Furious does make references to the all-important family member.
Speaking to Collider to promote the blockbuster’s much-hyped release, Morgan explained the importance in doing so by stating: “It’s so dramatic for the characters that at some point they would definitely turn to each other and say, ‘Oh my God, we gotta tell Brian, we gotta tell Mia. Something is going on with Dom, we don’t know what it is’. So I think from a practical point of view for the characters you needed to address it. For the audience, and just as a fan as the writer on it, I also wanted to have one moment where we were able to – specifically at the beat at the end of the film – say to the audience, ‘We’re thinking of him too’ in a respectful sort of way.”
SEE ALSO: Read our reviews for The Fate of the Furious here, here, and here
The death of Paul Walker helped propel Furious 7 to box office dominance, but even without his presence the franchise is going strong as The Fate of the Furious has also officially dethroned Star Wars: The Force Awakens as the biggest worldwide global box office opening of all time. Nevertheless, Paul Walker is still deeply missed and it is touching that the filmmakers have found ways to keep his spirit alive in lieu of his physical absence.
Now that Dom and Letty are on their honeymoon and Brian and Mia have retired from the game—and the rest of the crew has been exonerated—the globetrotting team has found a semblance of a normal life. But when a mysterious woman (Oscar winner Charlize Theron) seduces Dom into the world of crime he can’t seem to escape and a betrayal of those closest to him, they will face trials that will test them as never before.
From the shores of Cuba and the streets of New York City to the icy plains off the arctic Barents Sea, our elite force will crisscross the globe to stop an anarchist from unleashing chaos on the world’s stage…and to bring home the man who made them a family.
The Fate of the Furious is directed by F. Gary Gray (Straight Outta Compton) and features a cast that includes Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris, Eva Mendes, Elsa Pataky, Lucas Black, Nathalie Emmanuel, Kurt Russell, Kristofer Hivju, Scott Eastwood, Helen Mirren and Charlize Theron.
Originally published April 17, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
