A street racing movie turned into one of the most financially successful action franchises in the business, the Fast & Furious series has had a wild run in theaters. During the making of Furious 7, star Paul Walker unexpectedly passed away, leaving Vin Diesel and the team to memorialize the late actor by giving his character a happy ending.
As the seventh installment of the franchise zoomed to the top of the box office charts following its worldwide release, many saw how Paul Walker, the actor who played the role of Brian O’Conner in the films, was honored with a final send-off thanks to his brothers, Cody and Caleb.
The duo acted their parts in the scenes, but with the help of CGI, fans saw Paul in the final product. Now, fans are wondering what they are doing today, and if they will ever appear again in the next installment.
How Did Paul Walker’s Brothers Cody And Caleb Help Finish Furious 7?
Furious 7 director James Wan was presented with the challenging responsibility of providing Paul Walker's character, Brian O'Conner, a fitting send-off from the franchise after the actor passed away in 2013 while the movie was in production.
Indeed, the majority of the action, criminal, and street racing movie story has come to be defined by the Paul Walker moments from Fast and Furious. According to producer Neal Moritz, the movie's ending had to be rewritten since they were so distraught in the moments following Paul’s tragic death that they initially felt they would have to halt production.
The production for the film was then delayed in order to rewrite the script to retire Paul’s character, Brian O’Conner. To complete new scenes leading to Brian’s retirement in the franchise, Paul’s two brothers, Cody and Caleb, were brought in to act as body doubles.
Both Caleb and Cody Walker resemble the build and the face of their late brother. In the seventh installment of the franchise, computer-generated imagery (CGI) of the actor’s face was placed on top of the faces of his brothers to complete the scenes in the film. There were 260 shots completed by having the actor’s brothers perform his scenes in character.
On filming the scenes, director James Wan admitted that the Walker brothers had to undergo an acting workshop because “they have not worked before the camera.”
He explained,
“We brought on an acting coach who, with John Brotherton, worked with the brothers. They’d never been in front of the cameras before. Those poor guys went through a crash course in knowing how to perform for the camera.”
He added, “It was a whole different world for them and I think they had new found respect for what their brother did. I was very grateful to have the family involved.” Ultimately, Fast & Furious 7 bid Brian O’Conner farewell in a satisfactory way.
Cody, who is said to be more vocal on Paul’s passing, said that he knows Paul will be proud of their work. He said in an interview, “I’m so happy with it. It was just so tastefully done, and a great ending after everything.”
What Are Paul Walker’s Brothers, Caleb And Cody, Doing Today?
Life changed forever for the Walker brothers, Cody and Caleb, when Paul died in a fiery car crash at age of 40 on November 13, 2013. Although it’s been years since the actor’s demise, his legacy continues to resonate with millions of fans around the world. There are also his two brothers who have kept the flag flying on his behalf.
After the release of the seventh film of the franchise, where both Cody and Caleb played their parts on behalf of their late brother, they are bravely moving forward with their respective lives. Cody Walker has managed to utilize the opportunities that have come his way to strengthen his acting career, while Caleb has made waves on a personal and professional level.
Paul’s younger brother, Cody Beau Walker, is a paramedic and subsequently spent two and a half years doing the work before his brother’s death in 2013. It was a quite devastating time for the family, but he managed to pull himself together as he joined the Fast & Furious 7 on behalf of Paul. The franchise chose not to kill off Walker, instead letting his character live on despite the fact that the franchise often brings characters back from the dead.
Participating in the film became a blessing as it gave Cody a chance to gain a deeper insight into his brother, and at the same time, it gave him a push to pursue a career in acting, just like Paul. He has thus far appeared in movies such as Abandoned Mine (2013), USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage (2016), Shadow Wolves (2019), The Last Full Measure (2020), and The Jungle Demon (2021). He has also appeared in a TV show, The Rough, and is the host of the show Fast: Home Rescue.
Aside from acting, Cody takes care of his late brother’s philanthropic organization, Reach Out Worldwide (ROWW). This organization, which was put up by Paul as he was inspired to do so as a result of the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, is a team of volunteer first responders and other professionals in the medical and construction area who head out to provide much-needed services in areas struck by natural disasters.
Away from the spotlight, Cody is making progress in his personal life. He’s been married for almost seven years with his wife Felicia Knox and is the proud parent of two children, Remi Rogue and Colt Knox.
Meanwhile, Caleb Walker, who is four years younger than Paul, is thriving in life as he runs a chronic tacos franchise in Bella Terra, Huntington Beach. The entrepreneur is also actively involved in his late brother’s charity, ROWW. Aside from being a businessman, he is also the producer of the 2018 documentary, I Am Paul Walker.
Just like Cody, Caleb is happily married to Stephanie Branch and welcomed a son in August 2017, named Maverick Paul Walker. Both brothers of Paul are successful in their careers and have loving and supportive families.
Will Paul Walker’s Brothers Appear In Fast & Furious Again?
There are currently nine films in the Fast & Furious franchise, with the 10th set to release in 2023. Now, many are wondering if Paul Walker’s character will still appear in the next installments. In an interview, director Justin Lin shared his thoughts in regard to the future of Brian in the Fast universe.
"Well, Brian is very much alive in the world of Fast and Furious, and they've teased him a lot in the previous movies," he explained. Fans will remember seeing Paul Walker's famous car in Fast 9, which was planned to be a teaser for the upcoming film. "This movie jumps back and forth between the past and the present. You will see Brian in the past, you won't see Brian in the present."
He also pointed out that the Walker family as a whole is still heavily involved in the franchise, even hinting that a special tribute to the family is on the horizon. "The Walker family is still very much a part of this franchise, you'll see how in this movie. It just has to be the right moment, the right tone."
Given how they handled Walker's passing and using his brothers, fans can assume that Caleb and Cody Walker will once again be stepping into their brother's shoes in Fast 10. If they do not appear, they were still consulted about the choice to bring the character of Brian back onto the big screen.
Vin Diesel, who was very close with Walker, always shares tributes of Walker on anniversaries and even walked Walker's daughter down the aisle during her wedding. Diesel continues on the Furious franchise, and keeps it a family affair.