In the escalating arms race of all-star action franchises, the Fast & Furious series has started to follow the formula of The Expendables by adding more and more big names to their upcoming roster. They had already recruited Jason Statham and set him up as the villain of the next installment, and then earlier this month they added UFC star Ronda Rousey to the line-up. Now this week Universal has announced that they have also landed a major international martial arts star for Fast & Furious 7. That’s right, Ong Bak star Tony Jaa has signed on for the next installment of the Fast & Furious series, which will mark his Hollywood debut. Here is what Jaa had to say about the news:

“I have been a big fan of the Fast and Furious franchise… The films are fast-paced, fun and keep the audience involved. There is a great mix of humor and action, something I really appreciate. There is no better film to be involved in for a first U.S. studio production.”

At this point we don’t really know what his role will be, but I guess it’s probably a safe assumption that he will be a villain. On the other hand, there’s no point in casting a martial arts guy unless you have an appropriate opponent for him to spar with and Jason Statham is the only current cast member with that kind of training. Either way, I’m excited that they are continuing to put more emphasis on physical combat as opposed to just car racing and stunts.

Tony Jaa’s career was put on hold over the past few years after he decided to become a Buddhist monk, but now he seems determined to get things back on track. He recently reteamed with Ong Bak director Prachya Pinkaew for The Protector 2, which is set to hit U.S. theatres later this year. Does he still have what it takes to be a major action star? We’ll find out soon enough.