Paul Walker was a major factor in bringing back Vin Diesel to the Fast and Furious franchise.

Vin Diesel has been the main driving force behind the Fast and Furious franchise. The actor and his close friend, the late Paul Walker spearheaded the franchise to heights they never expected. The franchise is now the top moneymaker for Universal. Diesel has time and again expressed his gratitude to audiences for supporting the franchise for all these years.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in The Fast and the Furious

When the first film became a hit, the studio wanted to continue more stories with Dominic Toretto and the crew. Initially, Diesel was against the idea of doing a sequel but Walker convinced him about the great potential of the franchise.

Paul Walker Convinced Vin Diesel To Return to Fast and Furious

Vin Diesel returned to the franchise with the fourth installment Fast & Furious

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker starred in the first Fast and Furious film in 2001 which became a huge hit. Diesel was initially hesitant to do a sequel to the film as he thought it would ruin the reputation and essence that the first film had. Universal went ahead and made two spin-off films without Diesel.

However, it was evident that audiences were missing Diesel’s character in the films. In an interview with BackstageOL, Diesel talked about his concerns about doing a sequel and how Walker convinced him to return to the franchise. He said,

“Actually after the first one, I was in London with the owners at Universal and they talked about doing a sequel. I said ‘No, No, don’t ever do a sequel, you’ll ruin it’. That’s because in the ’90s and ’80s if you did a sequel you were compromising the quality somehow of the story. My producing partner was very stubborn and went ahead and did it anyway.

After the third film… I realized as Paul Walker used to say all the time that fans would really get angry if you weren’t in Fast. Paul used to say, ‘Hey what’s wrong, are you too good for us?’ and he’s right. That’s how we came back to Fast and Furious, the fourth installment.”

Diesel’s return paid off as the franchise and its reputation went a notch higher with every installment and became one of the top moneymaking franchises for Universal. Walker and Diesel’s chemistry along with the familial themes in the film also connected with people, becoming a strong anchor and drawing audiences to the franchise.

Vin Diesel Says Meadow Walker’s Cameo Honors Her Father’s Legacy

Meadow Walker in Fast X

Paul Walker‘s daughter Meadow Walker appeared in a cameo in Fast X. Vin Diesel in a recent interview expressed that he wanted to honor his friend Paul Walker in some way and that making her daughter a part of the film was his beautiful way of giving tribute to his close friend.

Diesel talked to E! News about how proud he is of Walker’s daughter and her cameo in the film. He said,

“I am proud of the fact that she so beautifully wants to honor her father. As a father, we hope that our children will want to honor us in that way. I think he’s smiling. I think he’s smiling at her performance. I think he’s smiling at not only her performance but at the fact that what him and I dreamed of—which was taking a saga to a 10th chapter—and to feel this love, the cherry on top is the fact that his daughter is in a cameo.”

The sequel to Fast X is scheduled to release on April 4, 2025. A Hobbs spin-off film starring Dwayne Johnson has also been announced that will serve as a bridge between Fast X and its sequel. It seems fans are in for a treat as many exciting things are in play for the franchise.