The on-and off-screen bromances of fast & furious

This chapter considers how the on-screen and off-screen presentations influence the ‘reading’ of the bromance between Paul Walker (Brian O’Connor) and Vin Diesel (Dominic Toretto). This particular bromance is created, like many other contemporary celebrity bromances, as a result of character dynamics emerging from the Fast & Furious franchise and is utilised for promotion. Indeed, creating synergies between stars in ensemble casts has become what scholar Peter Gutiérrez (2015: 39) argues is a feature of action films. In this sense, the authenticity of the bromance is already questionable, as there is an ever-present framework of advertising.