Vin Diesel's 'XXX: Return of Xander Cage' Trailer Is Nostalgic for 2002

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It's hard to believe Vin Diesel's Xander Cage has been away for so long. When the first xXx movie came out in 2002, George W. Bush was president, "Hot in Herre" by Nelly was the number one song in the country, Facebook was just a glimmer in Mark Zuckerberg's eye, and the phrase "extreme sports athlete turned super spy" was enough to get a movie green-lit. Time's have changed, but one thing remains the same: Xander Cage still kicks ass. And now he can ski!

Or, at least that's what he does in the new trailer for xXx: Return of Xander Cage, the third entry in the series (don't sleep on Ice Cube's xXx: State of the Union from 2005). The clip begins with a monologue from Samuel L. Jackson, probably to trick teenagers born in 2002 into mistaking this for a Marvel movie. Then you're like, "Oh shit, I forgot Samuel L. Jackson was in the first xXx movie!" Then Diesel, aged like a fine energy drink or a used copy of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, shows up and skis through the jungle. Then he fights bad guys. Then he fights more bad guys. To top it all off -- like you weren't already pre-ordering tickets online and getting Melkor tatooed on your stomach -- a sniper-ish character played by Ruby Rose straight up says, "Guns, girls, global domination: Xander Cage is back.” It's 2002 again, baby!

xXx: Return of Xander Cage skydives into theaters on January 20, 2017. 

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Dan Jackson is a staff writer at Thrillist Entertainment, and his favorite line from the original xXx is probably "You're in the Xander zone." He's on Twitter: @danielvjackson.