NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
It’s not a question of if, but when. When will Brian O’Connor return to the Fast and Furious franchise? And when he does, how will they give him a proper goodbye? That’s the burning question and a possible major issue for the franchise. There’s speculation O’Connor will make an appearance in Fast X but what does that mean going forward for him and the franchise?
We know the story of Paul Walker and what his role and death meant to Fast and Furious. Brian O’Connor was a major figure in the series right along with Dominic Toretto. It was their bond and brotherhood that drew a lot of fans in. To say that his death impacted the franchise is an understatement. Fast and Furious tried to move but has done so with mixed results.
Fast X is the newest installment in the franchise and there are rumors that some of the team will not make it out alive by the end of the next and final movie. But still, does that mean that O’Connor will see his end? In all fairness, fans may have to deal with the fact that if he does return, then killing him off may appear to be a wise move but one that will possibly upset loyal fans.
Will Brian O’Connor Die In Fast X?
We know that Walker is gone but why kill off O’Connor if you haven’t done it already in the last 3 movies? He’s been supposedly taking care of his kid and he did get a final touching sendoff in Furious 7. Let us have that final moment of him racing Dom and then veering off on his own. We may not like the “staying to raise his kid excuse” but it’s one that we learned to accept.
However, by bringing him back and Vin Diesel going on record as saying, that will give him a proper send-off, what exactly does that mean? We thought he already received that. Having him show up and the end of Fast 9 was a smart move but one that should be left alone. Having one of your favorite actors die in real life is one thing but then to kill him off movies later is a slap in the face to fans.
At this point, there is no real way for a proper send-off. Killing him is a no-no. They totally missed that opportunity. Having Mia die so Brian is forced to really retire is a no-no as well because there will always be grief or wanting of revenge. Having Brian arrested is a no-no as well as the team will look to break him out of prison. He rode off into the sunset so just leave it alone at this point. We’re too deep into Walker’s death to keep having these discussions.
But this is all the studio’s fault. We thought Letty was dead but she returned. We thought Han was dead but he returned, and we thought Gisele was dead but here she is making a return in Fast X. Why can’t anyone stay dead in this franchise? Now, they’re trying to bring back a character where the real-life actor is dead and they could possibly ruin the entire franchise by doing so.
Let Paul Walker rest in peace and let Brian O’Connor continue to raise his kid off-camera. Just because we have to mourn Walker the actor does not mean we have to mourn Brian O’Connor the character.
