Vin Diesel has been part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe since 2014, but to date, he’s never shown his face. Still, the Fast & Furious star’s vocal performance as Groot is one of the most beloved in the whole franchise, despite the fact that he only ever says three words. Given that he’s one of the biggest actors around, though, it’s always been assumed that he’d eventually appear in person in the MCU somewhere and that may be about to happen in Thor: Love and Thunder.Â
Insider Daniel Richtman has shared on his Patreon page that he’s heard Vin Diesel might show up in the flesh in Taika Waititi’s upcoming movie. And yes, he’ll be playing Groot. Or at least, a version of him. The brief details Richtman provides on Vin’s cameo in the film point to the tree creature being temporarily turned into a human using magic, with the tipster saying:
“Heard Vin himself shows up in person in Thor 4 via magic. Groot turns into human for a bit.”
It was the actor himself who first confirmed that the Guardians of the Galaxy will appear in Thor: Love and Thunder, allying with the God of Thunder again after they got pally with him in the last two Avengers flicks. And while this new intel should be taken with a grain of salt, it does gel with what we know.
It’s also easy to imagine how this concept for an onscreen appearance from Diesel could fit with Waititi’s signature sense of humor. After all, Groot, still acting and speaking like himself, but suddenly looking like Vin Diesel would be hilarious.
Of course, the actor has long been linked to the role of Black Bolt in a proposed Inhumans movie. Obviously that character was portrayed by Anson Mount in the short-lived ABC series, but it’s expected that Marvel will reboot the team again. In fact, earlier this year, Diesel teased that he may still play the part, so it’s feasible that this Thor: Love and Thunder cameo could lead to a much bigger onscreen MCU presence for him going forward.
