A Tribute To Paul Walker, The True Heart And Soul Of The Fast And Furious Franchise

Not only are there few franchises bigger in the history of popular cinema than "Fast & Furious," but the so-called Fast Saga may also be the most unlikely multi-billion-dollar enterprise that Hollywood has ever created. A series of movies about street racing and (relatively) petty crime miraculously morphed into a grand, globe-trotting saga boasting an A-list ensemble cast of talent. For years, the tip of that pyramid was doubly headed up by Vin Diesel's Dom Toretto and Paul Walker's Brian O'Connor, dating back to 2001's "The Fast and the Furious."

Sadly, Walker passed away during the production of 2015's "Furious 7," marking the end of an incredibly promising career far too soon. But the saying "the show must go on" certainly applied here, with Dom and the gang soldiering on without Walker's Brian O'Connor in the years since the actor's tragic death. Brian is very much alive in the universe in which these movies exist, but he's on the sidelines as the producers have (wisely) opted not to recast the role.

Be that as it may, it would be impossible for anyone who genuinely buys what the "Fast" movies are selling to argue that something hasn't been lacking in the post-Paul Walker days. A crucial element of the dish is missing, like a cheeseburger without fries or lobster without butter. Something isn't right. In short? The dish (in this case a big movie franchise) is missing its heart and soul.

It speaks volumes that director James Wan's "Furious 7" remains — by a considerable margin — the biggest hit the series has ever produced, taking in $1.51 billion en route to becoming one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. While the films that have followed, "The Fate of the Furious" and "F9," have also been sizable hits, they pale in comparison to that highest of highs reached in 2015. Audiences proved they connected with Walker and his performance as Brian O'Connor, and they wanted to say goodbye.

For as much as director F. Gary Gray and Justin Lin, respectively, tried to keep the series going without Walker, with all sorts of insane action sequences and wild twists, Brian has been sorely missed. It was never quite as evident before, but Dominic Toretto needs a counterbalance. Yes, Michelle Rodriguez's Letty has absolutely been there to fill that void, with the series leaning into the family of it all on that front. But what Dom needs is his brother; he needs Brian.

Tyrese Gibson has his charms as Roman, and Sung Kang's Han has been very welcome since returning to the franchise. But there was a yin and yang relationship that made these movies what they were for the vast majority of their existence. Walker's Brian was the yin to Diesel's Dom. Does Bill work without Ted? What about Robin Hood without Little John? Try to imagine Bodhi without Johnny Utah (perhaps the most apt comparison given that the original "Fast and the Furious" is more or less a remake of "Point Break"). That's what we lost. That's what's been missing — the heart of it all.

Paul Walker's unique charm, looks, and somewhat undefinable charisma were the perfect fit for the role of Brian O'Connor. It truly was one of those lightning-in-a-bottle castings that just fit like a glove. There's a reason recasting the role simply wasn't an option. Madness that way lies. Right or wrong, there's a reason we miss Brina but we don't talk as much about movies like "Joy Ride" or "Takers." In any event, it's fair to say that Walker was the special ingredient in the so-called Fast Family.

There exists perhaps no great evidence of Walker's importance to the series more than ten films and over two decades into its existence than 2003's "2 Fast 2 Furious." Directed by John Singleton, the second movie in the franchise soldiered on without Diesel, moving the action to Miami, Florida, and focusing heavily on Brian as well as Roman. It's extremely telling that the movie not only made more at the box office than the first entry did, but that it is somehow remarkably watchable despite not being one of the better entries. One could make a list of reasons why that might be, but to me, it's simple: that's the magic of Walker as Brian O'Connor. He makes that movie work, and these movies would have never gotten this far without his contributions.

Walker always played the part with sincerity and earnestness, which counterbalanced the increased insanity going on around him. It's what helped make "Fast Five" the glorious achievement that it was. That's not to say the "Fast" movies can't exist without him in some way. They do and will continue to do so with "Fast X" and beyond. But they will always be lesser than what they might have been if Walker were still with us.