When questions arose about the possible return of Brian O'Conner to the Fast & Furious franchise, actor Tyrese Gibson made it clear the topic was off-limits — even if it meant physically removing Cody Walker from the conversation.
Gibson and Walker were approached Thursday at the In-N-Out near Universal Studios ahead of this year's FuelFest, which they will be cohosting at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa this weekend. When questions turned to the potential return of Paul Walker's character in Fast Forever, the eleventh and final installment of the franchise, Gibson immediately intervened.
"Alright, alright, alright. We can't talk about that. We can't talk about that, man," Gibson said, according to TMZ.com. The actor then physically guided Cody Walker toward their vehicle, playfully acting as security before the pair departed.
The evasive response comes amid ongoing speculation about how the franchise will conclude. At last year's FuelFest, Vin Diesel outlined three conditions for Fast Forever, one of which involved reuniting his character, Dominic Toretto, with Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner.
Paul Walker died tragically in a car crash in 2013 while Fast & Furious 7 was still in production. The film was completed with the assistance of CGI, VFX, and his brothers Cody and Caleb. The circumstances of his death and the franchise's decision to continue without him have made any discussion of Brian O'Conner's return a sensitive subject for those involved with the films.
Fast Forever is currently scheduled for a Mach 2028 release and is intended to serve as the finale of the long-running film series. Whether Brian O'Conner will appear in the film remains a closely guarded secret, one that Gibson clearly has no intention of revealing prematurely.
The encounter at In-N-Out demonstrates the level of secrecy surrounding production details for the final chapter of a franchise that has spanned more than two decades and generated billions of dollars at the global box office.