Jet Li and Tony Jaa Join Vin Diesel in XXX 3

‘XXX: The Return of Xander Cage’ just added some serious martial arts muscle.

Marking Diesel’s return to the extreme sports superspy role he originated in 2002′s ‘XXX,’ the sequel already has DJ Caruso (’Eagle Eye,’ ‘I Am Number Four’) attached to direct, and the original film’s co-star Samuel L Jackson confirmed to return.

Now, Twitch report that action superstars Jet Li and Tony Jaa have also joined ‘The Return of Xander Cage’ - and actress Deepika Padukone along with them.

Li is one of the biggest stars to rise from the Hong Kong action movie scene in the past 30 years, via such hits as ‘Fist of Legend,’ ‘Fearless’ and ‘Hero,’ though he may be best known in the west for his role in ‘The Expendables’ series.

Jaa, meanwhile, came to dominate the Thai action movie scene with the ‘Ong Bak’ movies and ‘Warrior King,’ and recently shared the screen with Diesel as a villain in ‘Furious 7.’

Deepika Padukone, meanwhile, is a huge star in India, launched by her role in 2012 romantic comedy ‘Cocktail.’

Twitch report she will be “lining up with the good guys” in ‘The Return of Xander Cage,’ although it is unknown whose side Li and Jaa will be on.

Given these casting announcements and Diesel’s reveal that the film will be shot in the Philippines, it seems safe to assume this sequel will be set in the Far East.

This should make a change from the Czech Republic setting of the 2002 original, and the US setting of Diesel-free first sequel ‘XXX: State of the Union’ (AKA ‘XXX 2: The Next Level’), which saw Ice Cube inherit the code name XXX.

And if Diesel, Li and Jaa didn’t already have enough punching power between them, ‘XXX: The Return of Xander Cage’ will also co-star UFC fighter Conor McGregor.

While Diesel had originally announced ‘XXX 3′ would begin production this past December, its start date is currently unknown. Either way it’s sure to be a busy year for Diesel, as he’s also due to shoot an eighth ‘Fast and Furious’ movie this year with director F Gary Gray.

Picture Credit: Sony, Millennium Films, Universal, Eros International

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