When Paul Walker died in 2013, his brother Cody Walker, now 27, helped Universal Pictures finish "Furious 7" as a stand-in for his older brother. (Their brother Caleb did the same.) Now, Deadline reports, Cody has landed the first major acting role of his own: as a Navy soldier in "USS Indianapolis," directed by Mario Van Peebles and starring Nicolas Cage as Captain Charles McVay in an adaptation of the true 1945 story of the men who were stranded and attacked by sharks for five days in the Philippine Sea.

So far the reaction to Cody's casting has been mixed. Some fans are thrilled for him and sure Paul would be proud and happy to see his brother launching his own acting career. Other fans -- including almost everyone in the comments section under Deadline's exclusive -- are crying nepotism, wondering what Cody did to earn a major film role besides look like his brother and stand on set in his place.

It's not like Cody would be the first person to follow a famous sister/brother/mother/father into Hollywood. It happens all the time -- from Anjelica Huston and Angelina Jolie to Scott Eastwood and Nicolas Cage himself, who is actually a Coppola. But to some, Cody's casting feels like studios trying to replace Paul and capitalize on their relationship and resemblance. At any rate, this movie role sounds like a great opportunity, and for all we know Cody did everything every other aspiring actor does -- auditioned and earned it! -- so we're looking forward to seeing "USS Indianapolis" and judging Cody and everyone else by their own merits.

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