The makers of the ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise are facing backlash over plans to potentially bring back late actor Paul Walker using artificial intelligence for the final instalment, ‘Fast Forever’.
Walker died in a car crash in 2013. His brothers, Caleb and Cody Walker, helped complete his remaining scenes for ‘Furious 7’, which was released in 2015.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cody Walker said neither he nor Caleb plans to return to the franchise. However, he suggested that AI could potentially be used to recreate Paul for the upcoming film.
“AI was not a thing back in 2014, so they could do that. There are years of footage that was never used,” he said.
Cody added that the final decision should ultimately rest with Paul Walker’s daughter, Meadow.
His comments quickly went viral, prompting strong reactions from fans who criticised the idea of using AI to recreate the late actor. Some described the proposal as “absolutely bereft of creativity” and called it disrespectful to Walker.
Walker played Brian O’Conner, one of the franchise’s most recognisable characters, throughout several films.
His final appearance in ‘Furious 7’ was completed using a combination of his brothers’ performances, visual effects and previously filmed footage.
The ‘Fast & Furious’ franchise, which began 25 years ago, is expected to conclude with ‘Fast Forever’ next year.
The possibility of using AI to recreate Walker has now sparked renewed debate among fans over how his character should be handled in the series finale.
