Ever the advocate of teasing his fanbase, Vin Diesel updated his Facebook page last night with an image of Groot; the lumbering extra-terrestrial tree from Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy. The Fast & The Furious stalwart has been caught up in rumours surrounding his association with Marvel for the last few weeks, following his confirmed meetings with the studio. And, if this tease proves to be legitimate, it seems James Gunn’s interstellar adventure has added another member to its striking ensemble.
Here’s a screenshot of the actor’s Facebook page from yesterday:
Vin Diesel would join the likes of Chris Pratt, John C Reilly, Benicio Del Toro, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, Glenn Close, and Zoe Saldana in the movie, which has been slated to release in 2014. Within which, the Furyan would inhabit the role of Groot, an alien tree who only speaks when declaring, “I am Groot!” Not too far removed from the actor’s role as The Iron Giant in 1999, then.
The crux of the story centres around Pratt’s Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star Lord, as he confides in the titular group of ex-convicts to retrieve an alien artefact that the entire galaxy desire. While we understand that Thanos – the Mad Titan teased at the tail end of 2012’s The Avengers – will serve to tether the galactic tale to the rest of Marvel’s cinematic canon, Gunn’s film will primarily focus on the ragtag crew’s run in with The Collector – played by Benicio Del Toro.
When it releases next year, Guardians of the Galaxy will serve as an influential milemarker in Marvel’s sprawling cinematic blueprint – one that is mapped out right up until 2021, in fact. If the potential audience is to be leveraged based on the film’s cast, then the addition of Vin Diesel will surely provide Guardians with some additional star power.
It’s worth nothing, though, that the actor’s Facebook page has since taken down the image. Plus, it does seem unusual that this casting news wasn’t unveiled during Disney’s D23 convention over the weekend, so it’s probably best to take this one with a grain of salt.
Nonetheless, Guardians of the Galaxy will release on August 1, 2014. Until then, tell us, what your thoughts are on this potential casting. Do you think Vin Diesel and his gravel-voiced demeanour would suit the role of Groot? Let us know in the comments.
