With martial arts superstar Tony Jaa and a brand-new villain joining the new film (as well as Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson reprising their roles), the Fast and Furious franchise is developing into an ensemble cast of action icons in the same vein as the Expendables series. The addition of Russell makes sense then, as his filmography is rife with the same kind of testosterone-driven thrill rides. Ironically, Russell reportedly turned down a role in the original Expendables film.

Regardless, this is certainly a major win for the long-running Fast and Furious series and supports the style new director James Wan (Insidious, The Conjuring) will bring to the films. The filmmaker is taking over for Justin Lin - who directed the last four Fast and Furious adventures - and previously announced that he views the film as a “gritty 70s revenge thriller.” Fast Five previously reinvigorated the franchise by dropping the focus on street racing and including globe-trotting and heist elements. Therefore, Wan’s decision to bring in new blood while tweaking the tone a bit could go a long way to keeping the series fresh.