Vin Diesel Honors Late Paul Walker On What Would've Been The Actor's 50th Birthday

Family really is forever. Vin Diesel paid tribute to the late Paul Walker (his brother "for eternity") on Instagram this week, honoring what would have been the actor's 50th birthday.

"The world isn’t the same, brother," Diesel — who played the role of Dominic Toretto opposite Walker's Brian O'Conner for a total of seven Fast & Furious movies — wrote in the caption (the photo he shared was of himself and Walker, taken the night before the two visited Haiti following the 2010 earthquake). "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."

RELATED: Why Paul Walker Signed On to The Fast & The Furious Before a Screenplay Was Even Written

Walker tragically passed away in November 2013 as the result of a fatal car crash. He was 40 at the time. "I miss you," Diesel concluded. "I love you, and I will continue to honor the beautiful soul you are."

In the years since the actor's untimely death, Diesel has more than lived up to his role as godfather to Walker's daughter, Meadow, walking her down the aisle at her wedding and including her in the production of Fast X.

Vin Diesel honors Paul Walker on late actor's 50th birthday

Who did Paul Walker play in the Fast Saga?

Walker played the leading role of Brian O'Conner, a charismatic and resourceful FBI agent who manages to infiltrate Dom's crew of underground street racers and part-time thieves. Brian was supposed to bring the robbers to justice, but didn't count on falling in love with Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster), which eventually led him to abandon his life as a federal lawman.

Walker appeared in every Fast film (save for the mostly-standalone Tokyo Drift) through Furious 7. When he passed away before production could be completed on the seventh installment, Walker's two brothers — Caleb and Cody — stepped in to help complete certain scenes. The blockbuster famously paid homage to Walker's legacy with a montage set to Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth's "See You Again."

Brian is still alive in the Fast universe — his absence explained by the fact that he settled down to raise a family with Mia and is typically said to be protecting the kids, or his family, off-screen.

What's next for the Fast & Furious movies

An eleventh Fast & Furious movie (slated for a spring 2025 release date) is currently on the way along with a second Hobbs-centric spinoff. Fast X's mid-credits stinger set the stage for the latter, which will bridge the narrative gap between 10 and 11. As for Fast X, it will stream exclusively on Peacock starting September 15.