Sequel Bits: ‘Deadpool 2,’ ‘Resident Evil: The Final Chapter,’ ‘Transformers: The Last Knight,’ ‘xXx: Return Of Xander Cage’

By Jacob Hall/Aug. 18, 2016 7:00 am EST

They want Liam Neeson but Tim doesn’t. https://t.co/CEswy9A3WX

— Umberto Gonzalez (@elmayimbe) August 13, 2016

This is where I find myself conflicted. I enjoyed Deadpool a great deal, but kinda hate Cable as a character. I think Kyle Chandler is one of the finest and most underrated actors working today, but I’m not sure I want to see him playing a glowering (and dull) superhero. Liam Neeson definitely feels like the safer bet and he certainly resembles the comic book Cable, but it’s also not the most exciting or unique casting in the world. In other words, I’m just going to throw my hands up in the air and see what happens.

The Resident Evil movies have always been all about silly action and carnage, but they’ve also been family affairs, with franchise star Milla Jovovich working under the direction of her husband, Paul W.S. Anderson, on many of the films. In a Facebook Q&A, it was revealed that the couple’s daughter, Ever, plays a role in the upcoming Resident Evil: The Final Chapter, taking on the role of the Red Queen, a holographic artificial intelligence first introduced back in the 2002 original. Anyway, this news came about because Ever herself submitted a question to the Q&A (“Mama, how was it to work with me?”). Cue your awwws:

Awww.

It was so amazing to work with you. You are [an] unbelievably talented actress, more talented than I’ve ever been. It was an honor and a privilege to work with you. You’re such a great listener and you understand what it is to be real and natural and organic, and I give you so much kudos for that… you keep impressing me every single day.

After playing a role in 2007’s Transformers and 2011’s Transformers: Dark of the Moon, the Decepticon known as Barricade sat out 2014’s Transformers: Age of Extinction. However, this particular evil robot is set to return to the series with Transformers: The Last Knight and a new image of him (along with a few pertinent details like his desire to “punish and enslave”) have been unveiled. As with other images released from this film, I honestly cannot tell if his design has been modified – the Transformers in these movies all look too similar for me to note any significant changes.

Vin Diesel has seen the first cut of xXx: Return of Xander Cage and as you’d expect, he’s full of effusive praise in the video above. He even throws around words like “amazing” and “speechless” and discusses the “spirit of individuality” and such. However, he did offer one piece of criticism:

Let’s unpack this. First of all, has anyone really been waiting fifteen years for the return of Xander Cage? Anyone besides Vin Diesel himself, I mean. The first xXx was a hit in its day, but have you watched it recently? It’s…not good. Second, the suggestion that Return of Xander Cage is a brisk 90-minute experience actually feels like good news! We live in the age of the bloated action movie where everything runs about a half hour longer than it should. I can’t say I’m pumped for a new xXx movie, but I can definitely say that I would buy director D.J. Caruso a beer if he turned in a film that didn’t feel the need to hit the 120-minute mark.

I don’t want to say anything negative, but I have to be honest. If there was one complaint I had about xXx the first cut, it’s too short. I wanted more. When people have been waiting fifteen years for this franchise to return, you can’t just give them an hour and a half. It’s not fair because you just want more.

IGN recently sat down with Shane Black (whose The Nice Guys is one of the best movies of the year) and the subject of a sequel to The Monster Squad came up. Black co-write the 1987 original alongside director Fred Dekker and he responded with some enthusiasm to the idea of a sequel that follows the original characters in modern day:

It would be interesting to have two movies – one The Monster Squad, and one The Monster Squad and they’re 30 years apart and so are the kids; the characters have aged. As long as people understood that’s what we’re doing, I think that could be fun. That’s a good idea!