James Gunn Says Vin Diesel Is Not Playing Thanos In Guardians Of The Galaxy

Ever since his appearance in The Avengers’post-credits scene, Thanos has cast an enormous shadow over the Marvel Cinematic Universe and has sparked quite a bit of pondering from fans. We know that the Mad Titan is the big overarching villain of the MCU, and will likely face off against Earth’s Mightiest Heroes in full force in The Avengers 3.However, he has a supporting role in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy, meaning that we’ll finally get to see him in action on August 1st. We just have no idea who’s playing him.

According to Kevin Feige, the role has already been cast, though he’s “not sure we want to announce it yet.” This, of course, has only heightened the debating and theorizing that’s been waging since The Avengers,including the notion that Vin Diesel has secretly been cast in the role.

Of course, Diesel is voicing Groot in Guardians, but that’s what’s made the theory so appealing. Why would an actor like Diesel, who has been negotiating to join a Marvel film for years, opt for a small supporting role, simply lending his voice to a character that only says three words: “I am Groot.” Could his Groot casting merely be a guise for a much bigger, more important role like Thanos?

Apparently, the answer is no. During a Q&A session on Facebook, director James Gunn himself stated that Diesel will not be playing Thanos:

Now, the question is, can we believe him? We’ve seen casting misdirection before (Star Trek Into Darkness, I’m looking at you), so it isn’t completely out of the cards. However, at this point we have no evidence that Gunn is pulling that kind of stunt, so we’ll just have to take him at his word until we find out for sure.

Perhaps it’s time to turn our suspicions to another major actor playing a smaller role: Benicio Del Toro. Yes, he’s been cast as The Collector, but we know he’s signed on for several films and had that sinister, intriguing part in the Thor: The Dark World post-credits scene, in which he was clearly seeking the Infinity Gems. Could he be Thanos in disguise?

Tell us, what do you think of this news? Do you think Vin Diesel is secretly playing Thanos in Guardians of the Galaxy, or do you believe James Gunn? Sound off in the comments below!