Marvel Wasted Millions in the Most Useless Casting of an A-List Actor in the MCU
The Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) is by far the most popular franchise in the world right now, as its movies almost always make a billion dollars at the box office. All that money means that the actors who are lucky enough to work in the MCU also get paid a lot. Robert Downey Jr. is probably the best example of this, as his role as Iron Man has earned him a lot of money.
That said, Marvel’s tendency to hire A-List actors for every big role isn’t always the best idea. Here’s a look at why Disney and Marvel probably wasted millions by hiring Vin Diesel as Groot.
A look at Vin Diesel’s career and net worth
While he may not be swarmed by paparazzi, he’s actually one of the most successful movie stars in the entire MCU. That’s because, unlike many actors who’ve joined the MCU, Diesel has multiple major franchises that he also works in. For example, he’s integral to the Fast & Furious franchise, and those movies are extremely successful, too.
He mostly acts in action films, and nowadays, he likes to work on passion projects, such as Bloodshot as well as movies that are in the Riddick franchise. Due to these roles, as well as his role as Groot in the MCU, he’s made a lot of money.
For example, The Richest said that he was actually the best-paid Marvel actor in 2018, since he earned over $54 million in one year. That said, not all of that money came from Marvel, and some of that came from his work in other movies. Regardless, overall, he’s still extremely wealthy. His net worth is estimated to be about $160 million right now.
How Vin Diesel became Groot
According to Screen Rant, Marvel approached him first and offered him the role. He wasn’t a fan of the character at first, but his friends and family sold him on the idea of being a tree that says only one line. Diesel said that Marvel told him that Groot was like The Iron Giant, and that was something that got him interested in the role since he loves The Iron Giant.
Diesel was interested in the challenge of playing a 100% CGI character that only had two lines, “I am Groot,” and “We are Groot,” but Screen Rant said that his daughter ultimately convinced him to take the role.
As for why Marvel chose him, it was likely due to his iconic voice, but also his popularity. The MCU hired another famous actor, Bradley Cooper, to play a 100% CGI raccoon, so it only made sense to hire another A-List actor for Groot.
Why this may not have been a good idea
His role as Groot is more than just saying two lines since he actually says them with different tones and in different languages. However, ultimately, unlike the other CGI roles that Marvel has, Groot completely wastes Diesel as an actor.
There is a unique challenge in having to say one line in many different ways, but that’s not as challenging as doing voice acting similar to Cooper. Cooper’s Rocket Raccoon can show his emotions with just the way he says things, and he can also say things that are meaningful to the audience since nobody actually understands what “I am Groot” means half the time.
Plus, while Diesel definitely has a very famous and very unique voice, Groot’s voice lines are all modified by computers, too. So, in the end, a less famous and more affordable actor could’ve done Groot’s voice, and it likely wouldn’t have made a difference in the movie. It definitely would’ve made a difference in Disney’s bank account, though.
