Now that Fast 8's somewhat tumultuous production (which saw Dwayne Johnson and, allegedly, Vin Diesel fall out to such an extent that the former wrestler took to social media to voice his discontent with the actor) has come to an end, the cast can put their differences aside and start to chat wonders about the film. Vin Diesel has already started doing just that, teasing that Dominic Toretto is carrying some hefty baggage coming out of Furious 7, which has made him a dark and tormented individual.
Vin Diesel made this admission to Entertainment Tonight, declaring that Fast 8 is going to see Toretto struggling with the conclusion to the previous film, which saw Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner retiring from his life of crime so that he can raise his son and live happily ever after with Jordana Brewster's Mia Toretto. Speaking of how this will affect Fast 8, Diesel explained:
Fast 8 is different. It's very dark. My character is conflicted in a way that is really going to shock you. He's coming off of a lot of emotion from 7 and the loss that 7 represents. It's kind of cold-blooded. It's going to hit you like a ton of bricks.
It's nice to hear that Vin Diesel and the Fast and Furious team are going to be using the emotional baggage that was ever present in Furious 7 during Fast 8, too. While it was unlikely that Fast 8 wouldn't unfold without Paul Walker's character Brian O'Conner being referenced, Vin Diesel's comments suggest that it's going to be playing on Dom's mind throughout Fast 8, and that it leads to him making some pretty questionable decisions.
Vin Diesel's assertion that Fast 8 is going to be an emotional ride isn't actually all that surprising. There were many people out there that found themselves choking back the tears at the conclusion of Furious 7, the production of which had to be halted following the tragic death of Paul Walker in November 2013.
This led to the film being delayed several months so that the role of Brian O'Conner could be re-written in order to give Paul Walker a fitting tribute from the series. With the help of Caleb and Cody Walker, Paul's younger brothers, they were able to complete the actor's remaining scenes, which saw him getting involved in one last scrap with the Toretto crew before he dedicated his life to Mia and their family. Check out the video below if you need a refresher on how Furious 7 ended.
We'll get to see if Fast 8 is able to match both the impressive reviews of Furious 7, which currently holds a score 79% on Rotten Tomatoes, and the huge box office haul of $1.516 billion, when it's finally released on April 14, 2017.
