Joe Taslim Casted As New Villain In 'Fast & Furious 6'

With a cast already befitting the "blockbuster" label, the sixth "Fast and Furious" chapter's star-power has gone international.

Indonesian veteran Joe Taslim has signed on as a villain to push further the envelope of Vin Diesel's veteran team of heisters, Universal and director Justin Lin announced through Variety. He'll be doing so alongside British co-star Luke Evans, who's rumored to play a rival crew's leader.

Most recently, Taslim was seen in his native country's action blockbuster "The Raid: Redemption." Written and directed by Gareth Evans, Taslim played Jaka, the leader of an ill-fated police tactical sent into a tenement to bring down a crime boss - unwittingly, working without department sanction or backup. For what it's worth, it's currently sitting on an 83-percent "fresh" rating on RottenTomatoes.com. "The Raid" marked Taslim's major big-screen debut.

Taslim's new role is rumored to make solid use of his judo background, which should lead to some satisfying throwdowns with the likes of protagonist co-stars Diesel, Paul Walker, Tyrese Gibson, and maybe even Dwayne Johnson. There's been little detail leaked about this sixth installment's plot, but it's said to be shot in the U.K. because it centers on the classic crew led by Dominic Toretto (Diesel) heading overseas for a heist that's also being targeted by Evans' rival gang.

In addition, the sixth film once more welcomes back Jordana Brewster and Michelle Rodriguez, while adding to the mix former Strikeforce MMA champion Gina Carano and a rumored turn by Rihanna. "Fast and Furious 6" is set to be released May 24, 2013.

It should be met with lofty expectations: 2011's "Fast Five" grossed $626.1 million worldwide - much of that on the back of a wildly successful IMAX 3-D run - and was the year's seventh highest-grossing release, and the highest-grossing franchise installment domestically.