The Xander Cage movie franchise has a villain drawback, however right here’s the way it may repair that. The unique movie arrived in 2002 and solid Vin Diesel as Xander Cage, an excessive sports activities star recruited by the NSA for a harmful mission. It was billed as the start of a model new collection that might reinvent spy movies for the twenty first Century – just for it to be shortly overshadowed by the arrival of The Bourne Id.
The primary Xander Cage was a goofy, overblown blockbuster that was an enormous hit, but it surely quickly grew to become clear audiences most well-liked the extra grounded thrills of the Bourne movies or TV collection 24. That’s one purpose – except for Vin Diesel quitting as Cage – that 2005’s State Of The Union proved to be a monetary disappointment.
Diesel later revived the franchise with 2017’s The Return Of Xander Cage, which once more opted for a extra tongue-in-cheek vibe than different spy movies of the period. The movie collection is at present on maintain, nevertheless, pending the end result of a tangled lawsuit that at present exhibits no signal of being resolved.
The Xander Cage movies sometimes put the main focus squarely on the heroes, be it Cage, Ice Dice’s Darius Stone, or Samuel L. Jackson’s Gibbons, however there’s by no means been a very compelling villain for any of them to face off with. Marton Csokas – who changed Ewan McGregor – Yorgi was a one-dimensional madman who’s abruptly killed off.
Willem Dafoe’s State of the Union unhealthy man Decker wasted the long-lasting actor, whereas Toni Collette’s corrupt CIA Jane Mark from the third movie felt like a paycheque for the star. The collection might wish to showcase the main males and the action, however even the lesser Bond outings tried to provide 007 fascinating villains to sq. off towards.
On this space, Xander Cage is missing, but it surely may repair this situation by taking a web page out of the Quick & Livid collection. Starting with Quick 5 introducing Dwayne Johnson’s Hobbs, the Quick And Livid movies have carried out a very good job casting actors who’re a bodily and mental match for Diesel’s Dom.
From Livid 7’s Jason Statham to F9’s John Cena, the collection makes positive to provide its heroes a real menace to beat, which is one thing the Xander Cage movies have didn’t do. Of the three most important villains of the collection so far, solely Dafoe’s Decker engaged Stone in an precise fistfight, which wasn’t notably thrilling.
For all their evil scheming, Xander Cage’s antagonists by no means actually really feel that menacing. Return Of Xander Cage realized some classes from the success of the Quick And Livid movies, together with hiring a various solid of characters to encompass Diesel’s Cage, but it surely must also borrow a observe on efficient villains.
Perhaps Dave Bautista may very well be the right villain alternative, as he has each the physicality and charisma to make an impression; this is able to additionally mark a reunion between him and Diesel, as they beforehand squared off in Riddick. When (or if) a fourth Xander Cage movie arrives, it wants to provide Xander and pals an imposing villain, and looking out on the antagonist roster up to now, the sequel wouldn’t also have a excessive bar to leap over.
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