Last Sunday, Vin Diesel hinted he would be voicing Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy. A character who’s wooden and only repeats one phrase is solidly in Diesel’s wheelhouse. Although Marvel hasn’t announced anything (they were too busy ruining our fun), Vin Diesel spoke to Hero Complex at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association luncheon yesterday and seems to believe he has the job on lock.
Hero Complex: OK, so why Groot?
Vin Diesel: I’m an actor. I can do whatever the f–k I want. As an actor, not everything has to be the most obvious choice. And sometimes, the best thing you can do — as far as Steven Spielberg and his advice — is to defy expectations. So if everybody thinks you’re going to go for this one thing and you flip it entirely and go for the strangest Marvel character, it’s interesting. And when something is interesting, it’s inspiring.
HC: Why did you post a picture of the character on Facebook this weekend?
VD: I get inspired by things. So if somebody sends me a book of conceptual art that’s the best character design work I’ve ever seen — I’m not kidding, I see that and I want to be a little cryptic and I want to say something positive. Even if it’s as cryptic as an old, dated image of a character.
Diesel went on to say Marvel isn’t mad at him for hinting at his Guardians of the Galaxy involvement on Facebook. He also suggested that the reason he’s doing a character with as little dialogue as Groot is because he was too busy for a larger role. Sounds like he’s living life one short woodpile at a time.
Banner image components courtesy of Universal and Marvel.