Universal Will Retire Paul Walker's "Fast & Furious" Character In "Fast 7"

A fitting sendoff is planned.

Image via Universal Pictures

In the weeks after Paul Walker’s tragic death, there were many different rumors about how Universal would deal with the actor’s character for Fast 7, which was still filming when he died. Now according to The Hollywood Reporter, a plan has finally been put into place. Instead of killing Walker’s Brian O’Conner character, director James Wan, writer Chris Morgan, and producer Jeffrey Kirschenbaum have settled on the idea of simply retiring O’Conner from the series.

The team has studied all of the existing footage Walker shot for the movie and found a way to write him out of the story, while keeping his character alive at the same time. The decision can be viewed as a fitting tribute to Walker, as opposed to the uncomfortable option of having his death be put up on the screen.

This plan is going to require additional shooting and a script rewrite, but the studio has already delayed the film by eight months, which should give them the time necessary to make this work. The Fast 7 team was put in a tough spot, but this is clearly the best option for the franchise's future. 

Fast 7 will hit theaters on April 10, 2015.

[via The Hollywood Reporter

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