After months of less-than-subtle hinting from a number of people close to the production, Marvel Studios has finally confirmed that Vin Diesel would be voicing the character Groot in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy film. The studio made the announcement in a press release on its website after Diesel posted a photo of himself posing with a model of Groot.
Back in October, Diesel released a video of himself gallivanting about on a pair of stilts (presumably for motion capture purposes) and telling a group of people that he would be playing “a seven-and-a-half-foot tree” with “one line in the movie.” Marvel aficionados and anyone with the most basic Google skills knew immediately that Groot was the role in question, but the studio and Guardians of the Galaxy‘s director, James Gunn, refused to come out and say it. Furthermore, some fans continued to believe that Diesel would be portraying the villain Thanos, even in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Finally, Diesel released a photo of himself next to a model of the character on his Facebook page this weekend, which was soon followed by a statement of confirmation from Marvel. You can see the picture and read Marvel’s announcement below:
Vin Diesel is Groot!
The star of the Fast and the Furious and Riddick franchises will lend his voice to Groot in Marvel’s live-action “Guardians of the Galaxy,” rounding out the team that includes Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), Gamora (Zoe Saldana) and Drax (Dave Bautista).
Featured in four of the six movies in the fan-favorite “Fast & Furious” franchise, Diesel has helped the series gross over $2 billion at the box office; and will reprise his role in “Fast & Furious 7.” Diesel’s most recent film, “Riddick,” the third film in the franchise that has so far earned a cumulative $267.3 million across the globe, debuted this year at the top of the box office. In addition to lending his voice to several video games, Diesel’s received great acclaim for his voice work in the celebrated animated film “The Iron Giant,” directed by Brad Bird.
In the far reaches of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, an unlikely cast of characters including Peter Quill, Gamora, Drax, Groot and Rocket Raccoon must join forces to defeat a cosmic force of epic proportions. Directed by James Gunn, the live-action “Guardians of the Galaxy” will take fans to new corners of the Marvel Universe when it hits theaters August 1, 2014, but in the meantime stay tuned to Marvel.com for the latest news as it breaks, including official casting, first looks and more!
This entire series of events reminds me of a Christmas from my childhood. I saw a wrapped present under the tree that was obviously the bike I’d asked for, but my parents simply refused to say what the bicycle-shaped thing was, no matter how much I asked them to just admit it.
Much like my parents, Marvel, Diesel, and James Gunn knew that we knew, but just felt the need to withhold the knowledge from us. Just like how I was still grateful for the bike, I am pleased to know that Diesel is, without a doubt, Groot, even if I had to wait far too long for the truth. His voice is perfect for the role and he seems to genuinely enjoy the character. He did go out of his way to make the same face as the model in the picture, after all. Hopefully the next Guardians of the Galaxy news piece is more of revelation and less of an obvious confession.
What would you like Marvel to reveal about Guardians of the Galaxy? What are your predictions and expectations for the movie? Whatever your opinion, let us know in the comments!
Via The Hollywood Reporter and Marvel Studios
