Kurt Russell Confirmed In New 'Fast & Furious 7' Set Image

It's possible that the addition of Kurt Russell could be more important to Fast & Furious 7 than Jason Statham. At least over the long haul, that is. The only question was whether or not he would actually come aboard the franchise after being rumored for an expanding role a couple of weeks ago. Turns out the ink has now dried and Russell has already begun showing up to work because Vin Diesel just dropped this image of of the veteran actor on set.

What we know about Russell's character suggests he's going to be around for awhile, and has roots that run all the way back to 2001's The Fast and the Furious. What's clear is that he won't be part of Dominic Toretto's crew and will be at least in some way associated with Ian Shaw (Statham), the villain seeking revenge for the death of his brother in Fast & Furious 6. Russell's role is expected to be small now but grow into something larger in Fast & Furious 8, and since we now know there will be a ninth film it could possibly spill over into that.

Russell joins other newcomers Tony Jaa, Djimon Hounsou, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Ronda Rousey, with Lucas Black making his triumphant return. Fast & Furious 7 opens on July 11th 2014.