Vin Diesel says the Fast & Furious saga is lining up its finish line for April 2027. During a surprise appearance at FuelFest in Pomona, California, Diesel told the crowd the studio asked to target an April 2027 theatrical release window for the final installment.
Diesel says he agreed under specific conditions
Diesel also claimed he agreed to that timing under specific conditions, including bringing the story back to Los Angeles and leaning harder into the series’ roots in car culture and street racing.
Diesel teases Brian O’Conner’s return
The biggest headline was his statement that the finale will reunite Dominic Toretto with Brian O’Conner, the character originally played by the late Paul Walker. Diesel framed it as a core requirement for the ending, saying he wanted to “reunite” Dom and Brian.
How Brian could return, and what’s confirmed so far
Diesel did not explain how the film would bring Brian back on screen, and no detailed plan has been publicly confirmed by the studio in the reports covering his remarks.
What is clear is the franchise has navigated this territory before. After Walker passed away in 2013, Furious 7 used a combination of filmmaking techniques, including CGI and stand-ins, to complete Brian’s story at the time.
Why this announcement matters
Fast & Furious has spent the last several films expanding into globe-trotting, high-concept action, so Diesel’s emphasis on Los Angeles and street-racing DNA reads like an attempt to bring the series full circle.
For fans, Brian’s return is emotionally loaded and also complicated, which is why the “how” matters just as much as the “what.” Until Universal and the filmmakers clarify the approach, Diesel’s FuelFest comments are best treated as a stated intention rather than a fully explained production plan.
