The Fast & Furious Franchise has gone through several different phases over the years, starting as a grounded high-octane thriller and finally becoming a series of bold, stunt-filled action spectacles. However, throughout the saga, one thing has always remained at the heart of the story: it has always been a story about family. This subplot came to a head in Furious 7 When Brian O’Connor was written out of the story due to Paul Walker’s tragic death, and His character was given the family ending he deserved. But the franchise has actually been hinting at the end for a while.
with Fast and Furious 11 Marking the end of the beloved franchise, The absence of Brian’s character is becoming more and more obvious. The decision to keep the character alive was a respectful one that made sense in the story, but it also forced the writers to continue explaining why he wasn’t around in the films. However, there is actually a very clear statement that was written into Brian’s backstory a few films before his exit, giving a hint about where his story was going to end long before the writers could have possibly known the exact details.
Brian O’Conner has an absentee father explaining why he never leaves his kids
One scene from Fast Five explains Brian’s family history
in Quick fiveIt is revealed during an exchange between Dom and Brian that the latter has an absent father who left during his childhood. When Dom recalls the peaceful childhood he had with his sister, Brian admits: “I don’t even remember what the hell [my father] looked like.” It’s a very powerful moment that offers a grounded feel To an otherwise extraordinary story, cementing the fact that it is the characters, not their environment, which have always been the heart of the franchise.
This minor scene actually proves to be very important in Furious 7 When it comes to bringing Brian’s story to a close: the knowledge of his poor relationship with his father makes it even more believable that he would leave everything behind to take care of his own children. He wants to break the cycle of poor parents that so badly impacted his own lifeFocusing instead on his family and leaving Dom to take care of the racing world. It’s a strong ending that fits his character perfectly, and therefore explains why he hasn’t appeared in the universe since then.
Fast and Furious has done a good job of justifying Bryan’s absence thus far
The later sequels explained his retirement well
Paul Walker’s death during the filming of Furious 7 Was a tragedy for many reasons, but his character’s exit from the franchise also raised some important questions about its future. near the cathedral, Brian was the face of Fast & Furious Since the beginning – Without him, it was not clear exactly in which direction the story would take. Brian is gone during Quick X And misses out on some of the most important moments of the franchise, but for the most part, the films did a good job of explaining why he wasn’t present.
for example, The films included several hints that Brian was still part of Dom’s life And makes frequent appearances off screen, he just isn’t involved in the international espionage and anti-terrorist plot that Dom always finds himself at the center of. His car appears at the end of F9 As Dom prepares for a family barbecue, which is a subtle way to acknowledge that Brian is still around and has a healthy family life.
Sticking with Brian’s ending has caused some plot holes that aren’t easily explained, but the logical problems are better than the alternative of forgetting Brian.
It would have been a huge misfire for the films to completely ignore Brian’s character after his exit Furious 7Not least because he left on family grounds and the majority of his family is still around in the films. This means that he always needs to be accounted for and often mentioned to make his presence seem natural, and the writers have done a good job of ensuring that in the last few sequels. Sticking with Brian’s ending has caused some plot holes that aren’t easily explained, but the logical problems are better than the alternative of forgetting Brian.
Brian’s departure from Fast and Furious is less believable after Fast X
There’s no way he can stay in retirement much longer
That said, the writers are seriously going to have their work cut out for them after the events of Quick X. Dom’s feud with Dante Reyes is undoubtedly the biggest threat he’s faced so far, and if there was an opportunity for Bryan to come out of retirement and help his friend, this would be it. Obviously, this will be extremely difficult without recasting the character entirely, however There must be an in-universe reason for Brian’s absence Fast and Furious 11. It wouldn’t make sense for him to sit this one out.
Additionally, Dante’s quest for revenge isn’t just against Dom—it will directly affect Brian and his family. The crime syndicate seeks revenge against everyone involved in the death of Hernan ReyesAnd Brian was among the central players in this event. Fast & Furious Can’t avoid Brian anymore, especially if he’s targeted by Dante to avenge his father.
Fast and Furious 11 had to do more than justify why Brian wasn’t there
This character should be involved in the final story
Justifying Brian’s absence is not enough anymore. There’s no way he escapes Dante’s Vendetta entirely, which means that Fast and Furious 11 Finally will have to deal with the issue of bringing his character back in some form. Of course, this will be extremely difficult without recasting the figure entirely, but there are definitely ways that the film could include the character without showing it on screen. He doesn’t have to play a major role, though The film needs to recognize its role in history Without just waving him off like “No.”
In addition, with Fast and Furious 11 Almost certainly marking the end of this saga, it would not be fair to bring this story to a close without paying tribute to Brian in some way. It has been over 20 years since Paul Walker first accepted this role in The fast and the furiousAnd despite his absence, he’s still a huge part of the franchise today. It will probably be a tribute to the actor in the final Fast & Furious Movie, like the end of Furious 7Which brings his journey to an end and gives him a true retirement.