Vin Diesel

With the eighth on the way and two more planned sequels after that, it seems like the Fast & Furious franchise will never end. And you know what, if Vin Diesel, The Rock, and Jason Statham want to keep making movies where the good guys win by driving quickly and angrily, more power to them! Diesel himself revealed during CinemaCon on Wednesday, after an emotional tribute to the late Paul Walker, that The Fate of the Furious is the first in a new trilogy of films.

Marvel’s breakout hit Guardians of the Galaxy is all about teamwork, and putting aside a group’s differences in order to achieve something great. It would appear that the cast has taken this same philosophy to heart when promoting the film, as the latest push for viral buzz has embodied the one-for-all, all-for-one camaraderie that made the original film such a likable presence at cineplexes. Much like the assorted aliens converging from far-flung planets to battle the force of evil, the assorted stars of the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 have converged from far-flung social media platforms to battle the forces of underexposure.

We’ve seen some insane things in the Fast and the Furious franchise, but eight movies in and now they’re straight up throwing cars out of buildings. The latest trailer for The Fate of the Furious is, as expected, bigger and crazier, with more cars, more explosions, and even bigger motor vehicles creating even bigger explosions. If you ever wanted to see Dwayne Johnson skate across an icy tundra and use his muscle to change the direction of a torpedo, you’re in luck.

I’ll be honest: I didn’t get the pun in the title of The Fate of the Furious until just now, when I got my eyes on the film’s latest poster. Take a look at it and see if you get it. (Maybe you got it already. If you did, sit quietly and give the rest a moment to figure it out.)

FYI dudes, a new Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 trailer is premiering tomorrow night on Jimmy Kimmel Live! (that guy sure is having a good week), and even though it’s only a day and some change away, Marvel has generously offered up a short teaser for James Gunn’s highly-anticipated sequel. In addition to showing off what appears to be the space-equivalent of a campfire, the new sneak peek reveals our first look at the return of Nebula, played by Karen Gillan.

It seems appropriate that the new international trailer for The Fate of the Furious is rather…international, taking the crew from New York to Cuba to the arctic (it’s like Fury Road but with, like, ice) for the eighth (!) installment of the franchise. The next chapter of the awesomely soapy action series looks like a pretty juicy one, as Vin Diesel’s Dom straight-up abandons his family for Charlize Theron (who wouldn’t) and her questionable hairstyle.

It’s funny how things work out. When Marvel was putting together the cast for Guardians of the Galaxy, they probably never dreamed that it would be former professional wrestler and MMA fighter Dave Bautista who would emerge as the film’s most likable character. And yet, with his deadpan line deliveries and awesome physicality, Bautista stood out among his live-action costars  —  I mean, nobody was going to beat Groot  —  as the funniest and most sympathetic of all the Guardians. Just like that, Bautista was a bonafide movie star and one of the biggest strengths of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

Movie sets. If you’ve watched La La Land or even Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, you know they’re supposed to be glamorous. Bright lights, brighter stars, exotic locales ... So, what am I doing here in an abandoned convention center outside Atlanta?

Dom, how could you?!?

Welcome to the Guardians of the Galaxy Yondu. Hope you survive the experience!