10 Movie Franchises That Have Backed Themselves Into A Corner

4. The Death Of Paul Walker - Fast & Furious

Granted, the reason the Fast & Furious franchise has found itself backed into a corner of sorts is not the fault of the studio; the untimely and tragic death of actor Paul Walker, who played the series' protagonist, Brian O'Conner, has resulted in a compromised version of upcoming sequel, Furious 7, which has been tasked with the sad and inevitable task of explaining why Walker will no longer remain part of the cast. Obviously Walker's character - having been part of the franchise since the very first movie - would never have been written out for any other reason, and Furious 7 presumably found itself forced into having to craft a story around the fact that Walker was yet to finish filming his role in the movie. It's a slightly awkward (though clearly necessary) direction for the narrative to go in - especially since the whole point of Furious 7 was as a revenge vehicle, following on from the death of character Han at the end of Fast & Furious 6. Here's hoping the studio find a way to make this work whilst paying tribute to Walker in a way that feels right for the character... and the franchise.