Paul Walker, who died in November 2013, will still have a strong presence in Fast X, which hits theaters May 17. How did Louis Leterrier manage to include the actor? We explain it to you.
Last Friday, the action film Fast X unveiled its trailer. Viewers then discovered the presence of Paul Walker, who died in November 2013. The feature film, directed by Louis Leterrier, is related to Fast & Furious 5 which was released in 2011.
We actually discover that Dante, played by Jason Momoa, is the son of corrupt businessman Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), whom Brian (Paul Walker) and Dom (Vin Diesel) rob in the fifth installment of the franchise. A scene found in the video above.
As a reminder, the character of Brian is not dead in the saga universe. His name has been mentioned in every film since his last appearance in Fast & Furious 7. While Mia (Jordana Brewster) comes to support her brother, Brian takes care of the kids.
But at the end of the 9th episode, while everyone is gathered around the table, Brian’s car arrives, hinting at a return of the hero in the final works of the saga.
Vin Diesel had already prepared fans for his friend’s return. In April 2022, he said Paul Walker’s mother asked him to “bring Brian back to the big screen.” The actor-producer then clarified, “I don’t need to tell you how seriously I take this.”
From then on, rumors began to circulate about the possibility of the actor returning. Cody Beau Walker voiced his brother while the actor’s face was recreated using the deepfake technique.
Fast and Furious 10: Brian (Paul Walker) back in the latest movies?
When asked about the launch of the trailer, French director Louis Leterrier tells us: “Regarding Paul Walker, we used images that weren’t used at the time, we didn’t digitally recreate them.”
The filmmaker adds into the microphone of the American site Total Film:
“Brian is alive and well in the Fast & Furious universe and is mentioned many times in the previous films. In 9 we see his car arrive. His return is planned.
My film oscillates between the present and the past. You will see Brian in the past, but you will not see Brian in the present.
Leterrier then explains, “The Walker family is very involved in this franchise, so you’ll see that in this film. It just has to be the right time and the right tone. I think what James Wan did at the end of the 7th movie is perfect. The tone was perfect. So Brian needs to come back to the franchise as perfect as he left it.”
So Paul Walker is not integrated into the film using deepfake technology, but only appears in the past. The production preferred to use real images of the actor. A great way to give him one last tribute before the end of the saga that started in 2001.
Fast X hits theaters on February 17th.