Vin Diesel, widely recognised for voicing Groot in Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, almost starred as Daredevil in the early 2000s.
Vin Diesel’s Hits And Misses With Marvel: DYK Long Before Playing Groot, Fast & Furious Actor Was Supposed To Be Daredevil?
Vin Diesel may be best known today as the voice behind Groot, the endearing tree-like superhero of Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, but his journey with the Marvel universe almost began much earlier and very differently. Long before he joined James Gunn’s blockbuster franchise, Diesel was in serious contention to play another Marvel icon: Matt Murdock aka Daredevil. On his 58th birthday, let us look at some of his Marvel misses and an eventual win – a BIG one.
Vin Diesel was ALMOST Daredevil
Back in the early 2000s, when The Fast and the Furious and XXX had made Diesel a global action star, director Mark Steven Johnson reportedly eyed him for the role of the blind lawyer-turned-vigilante in 2003’s Daredevil. Diesel was among the top contenders alongside Matt Damon, Edward Norton, and Guy Pearce. However, Diesel passed on the opportunity to focus on The Chronicles of Riddick and XXX. While Riddick struggled at the box office, XXX became a major hit, grossing over $277 million worldwide and solidifying Diesel’s reputation as a fearless action hero.
The actor’s connection with Marvel didn’t end there. Years later, Diesel was also approached to voice Ultron, the formidable A.I. villain in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Though the role ultimately went to James Spader, Diesel’s meeting with Marvel opened the door to one of his most iconic characters.
Vin Diesel’s legacy as Groot
In 2014, Diesel debuted as Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy, a role he found ‘incredibly challenging’ despite its minimal dialogue. The trilogy went on to gross over $2.4 billion worldwide, making Groot one of the MCU’s most beloved figures. Director James Gunn praised Diesel’s dedication, proving that sometimes missing out on a superhero role leads to landing one perfectly meant to be.
Vin Diesel’s Marvel story is a fascinating mix of near misses and eventual triumph, which is proof that every choice shapes an actor’s legacy and everyone is destined to play the role that is written for them.