The Fate Of The Furious: Vin Diesel On The Franchise’s Future Without Paul Walker

Now that the dust is beginning to settle following yesterday’s show-stopping trailer, one which even featured Dwayne Johnson’s hulking Hobbs alter the course of a speeding torpedo with his BARE HANDS, all eyes are beginning to turn toward April 14th, when Universal and director F. Gary Gray are expected to unveil The Fate of the Furious.

It is, of course, the eighth installment in the high-octane juggernaut and the first to release after the untimely death of series stalwart Paul Walker. Walker passed away mid-way through filming on James Wan’s Furious 7, leading to a series of reshoots and delicate VFX work to fittingly close the book on his character. The Fate of the Furious, though, takes place long after Bryan (Walker) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) have been written out of the franchise, but it seems the memory of Walker still loomed over production on F. Gary Gray’s 2017 tentpole.

Per Total Film, Vin Diesel noted that:

It wasn’t just a question of whether this franchise could work without Paul. It was whether I could even survive doing it without Paul.” But after a lot of consideration, there was one thing that got Diesel back to the starting line. I’d seen this video of Paul guaranteeing eight, while we were making seven. That hit me.

Considering Diesel and Walker were the two anchor points of Universal’s Fast and Furious series from the get-go, it’s small wonder why the actor still talks about his late friend with a heavy heart.

In a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly, Vin Diesel took time to address Dominic Toretto’s decision to go rogue, as he’s seemingly under the influence of Charlize Theron’s ruthless cyberterrorist, Cipher. There’s a dark road ahead, according to the action veteran, who told EW that:

I knew that I was going to have to go to a dark place, part of the reason I returned to Xander [in XXX: The Return of Xander Cage] beforehand, to laugh a little onscreen before returning to Dom. It was an intense experience, to say the least. I only hope that the audience enjoys the journey despite the dark road ahead.

On April 14th, Universal and director F. Gary Gray will reveal The Fate of the Furious. It’s a defining chapter for the Toretto crew, but it isn’t the end. If early plans hold true, the Fast and Furious saga will continue with ninth and tenth installments on April 19th, 2019 and April 2nd, 2021, respectively. And that’s before Universal ventures into spinoff territory…