We’ve slowly been learning about what’s in store for us with the upcoming xXx: The Return Of Xander Cage, Vin Diesel’s return to the Surge-guzzling, EDM-listening, X Games-aping film franchise that is so radical, you’ll need to spend some time in the chill tent afterwards. Late last year it was confirmed that Samuel L. Jackson would be back as NSA Agent Gibbons, who at some point probably does some sick kick-flips before telling a woman, “NSA stands for ‘no strings attached,’ knamean, girl?” and then DJing a worldwide rave. Now, according to The Hollywood Reporter, Jet Li will be playing a role in the film, probably as a peaceful grade school teacher or something.
Much as the Fast & Furious films became massive after they were altered to focus more on the ensemble cast (sorry, “family”), xXx is also being reworked to make Diesel’s Xander Cage the leader of a fun bunch of ragtag toughs, which sounds exactly like what a lone-wolf egomaniac would do. This new group reportedly includes The Vampire Diaries’ Nina Dobrev, Bollywood star Deepika Padukone, and Orange Is the New Black’s Ruby Rose. Li is set to play the leader of his own group who squares off against Diesel—though again, probably in some very non-martial-arts kind of way, maybe a fierce game of Settlers Of Catan. D.J. Caruso (Eagle Eye, upcoming thriller The Disappointments Room) will direct the film, from a script by F. Scott Frazier. No word on a release date yet, though Vin Diesel might have that information for you any day now, given he is constitutionally incapable of not posting just about any thought he has to social media.