'Fast and Furious 7' Cast and Release Date: Cody May Replace Paul Walker in Future Films

By Asher Nelson
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Cody Walker, the younger brother of 'Fast and Furious 7' star Paul Walker, may continue starring as a different character in future installments of the street-racing film series.

Last Monday, the Daily Mail quoted an unnamed source close to the 'Fast and Furious 7' production as saying, "Paul's character Brian O'Conner will be seen retiring, while his younger brother will join the crew."

In May, Cody was spotted at Malibu beaches near Los Angeles in what appeared to be a film shoot for a scene involving Paul's onscreen family.

It was speculated that the beach scene was part of a happy ending showing O'Conner walking into the sunset with wife and child -- thus supporting the retirement theory. Rumors cannot be confirmed at this time, for plot details remain sketchy at best.

Paul Walker, who starred as the franchise's undercover police officer Brian O'Connor, was killed in a fiery car crash in November last year. At the time, production was immediately thrown into chaos because filming for 'Fast and Furious 7' was not finished.

Universal, which owns the 'Fast and Furious' franchise, hired two siblings of Paul Walker -- Cody and Caleb Walker -- to stand in for Paul Walker. Cody provided Paul's eyes, while Caleb replicated his deceased brother's body and mannerisms.  

An uncredited lookalike actor with no relationship to the Walker family was also brought in as well. Supplementing the lookalikes included intensive CGI work done by New Zealand-based Weta Digital -- credited with special effects for films including 'Lord of the Rings', 'Iron Man 3', and 2014's 'Godzilla'. Universal also recycled unused footages of Paul Walker from the previous two installments of the Fast and Furious series.

The cost of casting body doubles and CGI work is rumored to have cost Fast and Furious 7 insurers $50 million. If true, this will amount to the largest insurance claim in the film industry history. The previous record was reportedly held by 1994's 'Wagons East!'

Officially, 'Fast and Furious 7' will premiere on April 3, 2015. The film was originally slated to be released this year in the summer, but the launch date was pushed back following Paul Walker's death.

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