The latest trailer for F9 briefly hinted at Brian O'Conner's fate in The Fast Saga. The character, played by Paul Walker, was a mainstay of the Fast & Furious franchise until the actor's tragic death in 2013. Starring in a total of six franchise installments, Furious 7 served as Brian's final entry, considering Walker's passing before filming on the film ended. Though the character was thought to be alive and well in the series, new footage might be revealing a revised fate for a beloved character.
Initially set to release in 2019, F9 experienced several delays with its planned debut, being pushed back five times so far. That said, it remains one of the most anticipated titles coming in 2021 as avid plans are eager to welcome back Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) and his loyal crew. While the movie will heavily focus on Dom's brother, Jakob Toretto (John Cena), much of the hype is surrounding the surprise return of Sung Kang in his role as Han Lue. The first full trailer for F9 confirmed the fan favorites return, in addition to involvement characters who made their franchise debut in Tokyo Drift. Expected to be missing from the new movie is Brian, considering he's officially retired from dangerous globe-trotting missions.
There have been some rumors Brian will make an F9 appearance in some capacity with the help of special effects and body doubles. Considering that could result in controversies, it's more likely Brian will exist in the form of flashbacks and archive footage. However, the new trailer for F9 made it a point to show Brian as Dom narrated a key sequence. After talking about change, he says, "there are moments that separate us" as his character looks at a device playing a clip of Brian playing on the beach with his son Jack." The video is footage featured in the Fast & Furious 9 trailer is from the end of Furious 7, which served as a tearful sendoff to Brian and the actor who played it. Based on the short sequence and Dom's voiceover, The Fast Saga could be indicating Brian's passing in the fictional universe.
As Dom looks at the footage, he seems to be in a depressed state. The death of a friend that became more like a brother would certainly fall under the category of moments that separate. It's often been wondered if The Fast Saga would kill off Brian's character off-screen to better explain the character's absence during vital missions. Under the circumstances, it made sense why Brian took a step back. Still, story-wise, it's now impossible to think he would continue to sit on the sidelines, especially when his wife, Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), is involved in Dom's conflicts. Maybe enough time has passed for the cast and crew to put the character at peace but in a tasteful manner.
On the other hand, the loaded scene with Dom reminiscing about Brian could indicate that he simply misses the presence of his loyal friend. No matter the situation, Dom would always care for Brian, but maybe Brian's retirement put him down another path. Rather than drag him back in, Dom might embrace the fact that things have changed, giving him a reason to leave Brian out of the new mess with his long-lost sibling. Mia may feel obligated to help, seeing as another Toretto is involved. Granted, just because Brian is no longer in the spotlight of The Fast Saga doesn't mean Walker will ever be forgotten in the franchise. F9 confirms he's still on the minds of his closest allies.
