Fast & Furious 7 Will “Retire” Paul Walker’s Character

Existing footage of the late actor will be used with tweaked script.

Universal, director James Wan, and writer Chris Morgan have reportedly decided on the fate of the late Paul Walker’s character Brian O’Conner in Fast & Furious 7.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the plan is to “tweak the script and add scenes so footage of the late actor's Brian O'Conner character can still be used -- but the franchise can continue.” O’Conner will not be killed off in the film, but the studio will “retire” the character via the existing footage of Walker that was shot prior to his death, with the hope of satisfying fans.

Walker of course was tragically killed in a car crash in November, which left Universal in a quandary as to how to proceed with Fast 7. Only about half the film had been shot at the time of Walker’s demise. Production was halted on the picture, and its release date pushed to April 10, 2015, shortly thereafter.