Paul Walker, who died six years ago, may appear in next Fast & Furious

Actor Paul Walker in Fast and the Furious 6

Paul Walker's popular character Brian O'Conner could be returning to the high speed Fast and Furious franchise, six years after the actor's death.

Sources close to the film say a body double will stand in for the deceased actor in Fast and Furious 9 and they are currently on the lookout for a suitable candidate.

The news was shared on Twitter by Daniel Richtman, an influencer with over 70,000 followers and Ladbible's reported source on this story, who also expressed his unease at the prospect.

"Just got a new casting grid for something and with it some big news that are sure to be controversial. Not sure how I feel about it myself but we'll see,"

In a second tweet he gave more insight, sharing that it was Paul Walker's character coming back.

It's been long enough. They are bringing back Paul Walker's character, Brian, to FF9. https://t.co/320dprmC1S

— Daniel Richtman #BlackLivesMatter (@DanielRPK) November 14, 2019

Walker died in a car crash in Los Angeles in 2013, aged 40, during production of Furious 7. His character was given a send off in the film with his brothers and CGI being used for the final shots. The decision to bring him back is sure to be controversial.

Fast and Furious 9 is due to be released in May, 2020.