Paul Walker will return in Fast X as director explains how

Paul Walker’s beloved Fast and Furious franchise character is set to return in the upcoming tenth film and the director has explained how.

Last week, the hotly anticipated trailer for Fast X dropped, leaving fans more hyped than ever with the return of Vin Diesel, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Ludacris and more.

It also teased the return of Walker’s Brian O’Conner. The late actor sadly died in a car crash in 2013 and his final appearance came posthumously in the 2013 sequel Fast and Furious 6.

Following Walker’s untimely death, his character has still remained part of the high adrenaline action in the blockbuster franchise by retiring.

Walker’s real-life brothers also served as body doubles, meaning the former FBI agent’s presence could still be felt on screen, in addition to the use of CGI.

Ahead of the release of Fast X later this year, director Louis Leterrier shared his approach to including Brian in the new film and clarified that he is ‘very much alive’ in the Fast and Furious franchise.

“Well, Brian is very much alive in the world of Fast and Furious and they’ve teased him a lot in the previous movies,” he told TotalFilm.

“In 9, we see the car coming. It’s something that is planned. This movie jumps back and forth between the past and the present.”

Leterrier said Walker’s family have remained part of the franchise and shared that the decision as made for Brian to be seen ‘in the past’.

“You will see Brian in the past, you won't see Brian in the present. It's something that everybody has to be on board with.

“The Walker family is still very much a part of this franchise, you'll see how in this movie. It just has to be the right moment, the right tone.

On 30 November last year, Diesel shared a touching tribute to his late friend and former co-star on Instagram.

He captioned the post: “Nine years … love you and miss you.”

The upcoming film will make the debuts of Jason Momoa and Brie Larson in the franchise.

The Aquaman star will play the role of a villain named Dante, whose vehicle of choice is the motorcycle.

"New allies will be forged and old enemies will resurface. But everything changes when Dom discovers that his own eight-year-old son is the ultimate target of Dante’s vengeance," the film's synopsis explains.

Fast X is set to kick off a two-part finale to the long-running series, with the characters noting in the trailer that the 'end of the road' is beginning.

Fast X is scheduled to be released May 19, 2023.