It isn’t hard to imagine the upcoming Duke Nukem live-action adaptation dominating the box office during its theatrical run. After all, both the over-the-top action and crass humor made famous in the video game franchise could translate very well onto the big screen, especially if the studio does a good job of modelling the tongue-in-cheek format of the Deadpool films.
A lot of the movie’s success could hinge on the performance of whoever’s lucky enough to portray the titular hero, though. We’ve heard discussions about John Cena potentially anchoring the role, and some folks have even suggested that the pic is already moving forward with him in the driver’s seat, but that information has yet to be confirmed.
In fact, it seems that another A-list actor may be in the running for the part. According to insider Daniel Richtman, Fast & Furious actor Vin Diesel is being eyed to play the eponymous character as well. No doubt this would certainly be a high profile choice that could drive many curious viewers to the theater.
It isn’t hard to see the resemblance between the two, either, as they’re both good looking and freakishly muscular, but it’s worth wondering whether the 53-year-old will be able to deliver the laughs in the same way that Duke so often does. Cena, on the other hand, has shown off his comedic chops plenty of times over the years, including laugh-out-loud moments in Blockers and Trainwreck, as well as doing a bang-up job hosting Saturday Night Live back in 2016.
Diesel’s funniest work to date, meanwhile, has been in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, where he mostly just repeats his character’s name over and over again. That’s not to say that he can’t be funny if given the chance, but it definitely raises some concerns if he’s handed the keys to this flick.
Do you think he’s the right choice to play Duke Nukem in the upcoming adaptation, though, or would you rather the part go to Cena? Or maybe even another actor? Sound off in the comments and let us know what you think!
