Pacific Rim: Maelstrom Casts Action Star Zhang Jin For Undisclosed Role

Chinese actor star Zhang Jin has climbed aboard Pacific Rim: Maelstrom as a last-minute addition.

The sci-fi sequel, which recently entered production Down Under, has assembled a formidable roster of international talent, headlined by Jing Tian (The Great Wall, Kong: Skull Island), Wesley Wong, Lily Ji, Chen Zitong and Lan Yingying. That apocalypse won’t cancel itself, though, and we know that Maelstrom‘s ensemble also makes room for The Force Awakens breakout John Boyega – he’ll take point as the son of Stacker Pentecost – Lana Candor, Scott Eastwood, Jing Tian, Cailee Spaeny, Ivanna Sakhno and Adria Arjona.

Behind the scenes, it is Daredevil helmer Steven S. DeKnight that will take the mighty reins on Pacific Rim: Maelstrom, building on the foundations first laid by Guillermo del Toro and Travis Beacham. Plot details remain few and far between, but we assume another wave of Kaiju (category 6?) are clawing at The Breach, forcing the governments of the world to fire up the Jaeger Program for another round of jaw-dropping action.

One thing we do know for sure is that Charlie Hunnam, lead star of the cult original, won’t feature in Pacific Rim 2 whatsoever, lending John Boyega the chance to take the monstrous sequel and make it his own. After all, the rising star first showcased his magnetic energy in Attack the Block, where he fought off an alien invasion as Moses. Last year heralded an opportunity to refine those skills on a much bigger canvas thanks to Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Pacific Rim: Maelstrom will perhaps offer the biggest canvas of all when the sci-fi sequel slams into theaters on February 23, 2018.