Jean-Claude Van Damme Joins Yet Another 'Kickboxer' Movie

We haven’t even had the opportunity to lay eyes upon Kickboxer: Vengeance (fingers crossed for sometime this year, which seems reasonable considering it’s about to debut at the Fantasia Film Festival), but we’ve got even more of the rebooted Kickboxer franchise on the way. To celebrate the Fourth of July, none other than Jean-Claude Van Damme gave us a taste of what’s to come by releasing a video of himself signing a contract for the sequel, Kickboxer: Retaliation. Check it out below.

This Facebook video is vintage JCVD and encapsulates everything I adore about the man. He’s goofy and enthusiastic, obviously psyched about making his first contract signing video, and hopefully the movie as a whole. He’s also more than a little dickish, pausing to make sure you see his sweet motorcycle, playing like he’s too good know anyone’s name, and tossing away a pen for being too big. It’s silly, but also super adorable and embodies the weird dual nature of Van Damme’s career.

Kickboxer: Vengeance is essentially a remake of the 1989 original, with Alain Moussi taking over the Kurt Sloane role, playing a man out to avenge his brother. Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) takes over the role of the villainous Tong Po, and Van Damme himself moves up in the world, playing kickboxing guru Master Durand. Gina Carano joins the party, as do MMA fighters like Georges St. Pierre and Tyrone Woodley. And it actually looks awesome.

Always intended as the beginning of a new trilogy, Kickboxer: Retaliation isn’t a huge surprise, and it’s put together an intriguing cast as well. In addition to Van Damme, Moussi will return. This time Kurt Sloane will have to face off against another massive slab of man in Game of Throne’s Hafpor Julius Bjornsson, who you probably know better as the Mountain.

But that’s not all. GSP is also back, as well as fellow MMA fighters Kenny Florian, Cristiane Justina (better known to many as Cris Cyborg, which his an appropriate name given the circumstances), Paige VanZant, and Fabricio Werdum. Oh, and there’s also a little known boxer named Mike Fucking Tyson.

We still don’t know precisely when we’ll get to see Kickboxer: Vengeance, but I’m already psyched for Kickboxer: Retaliation.