By: Eric Eisenberg

Late last year, just as grumblings about Fast and Furious 6 began, there was a rumor floated that said Jason Statham was being courted to play the villain going up against Vin Diesel and Paul Walker in the new installment. The idea was backed by other rumors suggesting that the next story will be played out internationally, hence the need for a European villain. Now it’s looking like Statham is unavailable, but they may have caught another star instead.

According to Twitch, Luke Evans has been offered the role as the villain in Fast and Furious 6. Like Statham, Evans was born in the United Kingdom (though he is from Wales while Statham is from England). The sequel is being directed by Justin Lin, who directed not only Fast Five, but Fast & Furious and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. The plot of the next movie is still unknown. As reported earlier today, Michelle Rodriguez is back for the sixth installment as well and Dwayne Johnson will be back to play Luke Hobbes.

Luke Evans was last seen in the absolutely dreadful The Raven, but he’s a quality actor who deserves bigger and better parts, so hopefully Fast and Furious 6 will provide that. In order for that to happen, though, it will have to do as well with critics and audiences as Fast Five. Evans has three more films coming out in 2012 including the horror film No One Lives, the drama Ashes and, of course, Peter Jackson’s The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Source: Cinema Blend