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Podcast fever is soaring as literally everyone you know seems to now be hosting one. Big names, brands and franchises want to cash in on the rising trend, and creativity is not always their focus. The newest kid on the block is an oddly familiar face, in the shape of the Fast & Furious franchise, and its entry doesn't surprise us, but instead makes us wonder why it took so long.

The Fast & Furious franchise is one of the most widely watched, loved and looked forward to movie series in not just Hollywood, but the world's film production complex. This makes it a highly profitable brand, and as with every top brand, it must keep itself relevant to stay on top. After nine movies, a TV show and even a video game, the newest chapter in their playbook is a podcast.

The podcast also serves as hype content as the latest addition to the franchise, F9, edges toward its May 19 world premiere in South Korea and Taiwan. The sheer size of the franchise can be gauged just by this — how the film is premiering 10,000km away over a month before viewers at home can. The release date in the US was subject to several delays due the coronavirus.

The Fast & Furious saga will essentially be getting a dedicated season on Entertainment Weekly's EW Binge Podcast, and it'll be hosted by Derek Lawrence and Chanelle Berlin Johnson. The F9 podcast will have nine episodes, the first of which was released today, April 30, and a new episode will come out every Friday.

The season will consist of nine episodes, as many as the films under the umbrella so far, and each will feature a star from the movie. The first episode features Vin Diesel, who plays Dominic Toretto in the saga.

The heroes of the film will talk about their journey in Fast & Furious and share insights into the the upcoming movie and from behind the scenes.

There is much fanfare ahead of the release of the film, as with the release of every Fast & Furious film, because of the stars who will appear in the saga for the first time. WWE wrestler turned actor John Cena will be appearing in the film, in addition to rappers Cardi B and Ozuna. The series is known for getting the biggest and most exciting stars to appear in their films.

It's a great business model, easy hype before every film, and fans who are sick of seeing the same faces for over a decade get an additional excuse to never-ending runways and supercars dropping out of glass buildings in the middle of a desert.

It's not going to be the best or the most profound movie of the year, but it's going to be everything one should expect out of a Fast & Furious movie, and why we love the series — action, action and more action. Also over-use of the word 'family'.