The Fast And Furious franchise suffered a tragic loss in late 2013 when Paul Walker died in a car crash in the middle of Furious 7's shoot. After an extended hiatus for script rewrites, the production resumed, and Walker's brothers, Caleb and Cody, were used as stand-ins for Brian O'Connor. Several years later, Caleb Walker spoke briefly about his experience filling in for his brother on Furious 7, saying that despite Paul's death still weighing heavily at the time, he appreciated the opportunity to spend time with the movie's other actors. He said:
I always wanted to be like him growing up, and so stepping into his shoes was special, but it was too soon, you know, looking back at it. Like, it was, like, just a few months afterward. But the most special part was getting to know his other family that he had been working with for 15 years.
Caleb Walker reflected on his time contributing to Furious 7 while appearing on The Dr. Oz Show. Caleb and Cody were brought aboard the seventh Fast And Furious entry were hired as stand-ins for Paul Walker. Thanks to their involvement, not only was Furious 7 able to successfully mask Paul Walker's absence within the movie, but the digital effects company Weta Workshop had an easier time reconstructing Paul's face and body due to how closely his brothers resemble him. It sounds like while he was on set, Caleb got to know Vin Diesel, Tyrese Gibson, Michelle Rodriguez, Jordan Brewster and all the other actors Paul Waker had spent so much time with over the years while performing in these high octane blockbusters.
Brian O'Connor was one of the Fast And Furious series' main characters, appearing in all but The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift up to Furious 7's release. Even before Paul Walker's death, Furious 7 was meant to show Brian struggling with being a father, but the movie's original ending was set up so that he could keep adventuring with his car-loving allies while balancing his family life. Following Paul Walker's death, the creative team decided to retire Brian from the franchise rather than kill him off. In Furious 7's final minutes, Brian was seen playing with his wife, Mia Toretto, and his son, Jack, on a beach, but when Vin Diesel's Dom Toretto silently left, Brian caught up with him in his car so they could have one last drive together.
While Paul Walker is still missed by his family, friends and fans, the Fast And Furious franchise continues to move forward with crazy car stunts and hammering home how important family is. The latest entry, The Fate of the Furious, is still playing in theaters. Two more movies in the main series are already scheduled for 2019 and 2021, respectively, and a spinoff starring Dwayne Johnson's Luke Hobbs and Jason Statham's Deckard Shaw is in development.
