UPDATE: Deepika Padukone is confirmed as snagging the female lead, according to Variety. She'll be a skilled huntress who helps Cage on his mission. Li is also now locked in alongside Tony Jaa, Ruby Rose and Nina Dobrev.
We're used to updates on Vin Diesel films coming from the big man himself via the medium of Facebook. He's been suspiciously quiet about this announcement, so perhaps treat it with caution for the time being. But the word on the street is the Jet Li and Tony Jaa are set to join the belated xXx threequel. Twitch, the source of the rumour, also place Indian star Deepika Padukone in the frame.
Padukone would be on the side of the good guys, we're told, but there's not yet any indication of the roles Li and Jaa would fill. Jaa previously appeared with Diesel in Fast & Furious 7, and is, you'd imagine, hoping for some actual lines this time out.
Already officially confirmed as in the cast is Samuel L. Jackson, returning as NSA agent Augustus Gibbons. Current UFC featherweight champ Conor McGregor will also have a role.
The new xXx has Michael Ferris and John Brancato (Terminator: Salvation) writing the script for director D.J. Caruso (Disturbia) and producer Neal H. Moritz. There’s no set release date yet, but it appears the wheels are well and truly in motion for extreme sports nut-turned-government asset Xander Cage to head back to our screens somewhere in between Fast & Furious 8 and Riddick 4.