Jason Statham’s hardboiled villain Deckard Shaw may have been locked up in the highest of high-security prisons at the end of James Wan’ blockbuster sequel, but that doesn’t necessarily rule out he actor from reprising his role – this is the Fast and Furious universe, after all. Well, it seems as though The Stath’s role in Furious 8 is all but locked in after the action stalwart spoke about the next installment in an interview with Access Hollywood.
While it’s unlikely he will pull a Luke Hobbs and join the Toretto family as an ally, it’s nice to know that Statham is on board for the follow-up. Owen Shaw’s big bad brother proved to be a worthy opponent over the course of Furious 7, boasting enough brain and brawn to simultaneously out-smart Torreto’s crew and even give The Rock a run for his money. It’s a role that Statham himself is excited to reprise, and here’s what the actor had to say about the return.
We’re already talking about doing another one, Part 8. I’m a newcomer, I just got invited to the party in this last one, so it’s nice to know I’m going to be doing another.
Admittedly, rather than outright killing the antagonist, both Wan and Universal left the door open – figuratively speaking – for Statham’s big bad to make a return, so this news is hardly surprising. Mind you, Furious 7 will prove to be a difficult act to follow, considering that it stormed past $1 billion at the worldwide box office in record time. Can the eighth installment in the studio’s seemingly unstoppable juggernaut emulate such a groundbreaking haul? Time will tell.
Furious 8 is slated for a release on April 14, 2017, giving The Stath little under two years to engineer a way out of solitary confinement and past The Rock’s clenched fist.