Paul—who tragically died in 2013 in a car accident at age 40—passed away amid filming Fast & Furious 7, but the studio was able to end the film by having him say some final words and drive off by using a mix of technology and his brothers to make it happen. While Vin has since starred in three more of the films, he said that he started advocating for Paul’s character to return in some capacity for the upcoming film after hearing viewer feedback, noting that he was “listening to my fan base.”
While fans have requested for Paul’s character to make a comeback in the finale, The Pacifier was also close friends with Paul. On what would have been Paul’s 50th birthday, 10 years after his passing, Vin shared a message honoring his late costar.
“A decade… ten long years… and yet it feels like yesterday when we were singing happy birthday to you for the big 40!” he wrote on Instagram in September 2023. “The world isn’t the same brother… as a species, one might say we are struggling. But I think of you, and I smile and know everything is going to be alright.”
