Vin Diesel has been a Hollywood staple for the past 20 years. His first real role in an action film was as Richard Riddick in Pitch Black (2000). Pitch Black was the first film in the Chronicles of Riddick series. The series showed promise but never made it to the levels of success that it was expected to.
After Riddick, Diesel found another hopeful role as Dominic Toretto in The Fast and The Furious (2001). The character stuck this time around, and Diesel found himself amid a film that grossed over $200 million worldwide. Even still, the actor was tied to the idea of playing an even more central role and continued to search for more fitting projects.
In the following article, we will explore the best of Vin Diesel’s characters and why he chose them.
Riddick
More commonly called Riddick, Richard B Riddick was one of the first characters ever played by Vin Diesel. Riddick is an ex-mercenary. Someone skilled in defensive and offensive combat. The character is well-known for his combative skills, including stealth, survival, escapes, piloting, and covert mobility.
Dominic Toretto
Perhaps Diesel’s most famous character, Dominic Toretto, is the leader of a street racing group. Toretto is the sort of father figure to the group, leading the other characters through races, carjackings, and elaborate heists. This character has made Vin Diesel a household name, and the 10th film in the franchise is currently in the works.
XXX: Xander Cage
The year after The Fast and the Furious was released, Vin Diesel found another successful series in which to star. XXX was perhaps the movie that let the world know that Diesel was a real action star. It featured Diesel as a reluctant stuntman-turned-spy and allowed the actor to flex his action star muscle. The movie was a box office success. Two other XXX films followed, and the series grossed over $694 million US worldwide.
Groot
Perhaps one of the characters most unexpected for Diesel to play is Groot. The slow-moving, catch-phrase quoting animated tree character in Guardians of the Galaxy. Groot became a fan favorite with his calming, deep voice, a trademark of Diesel’s.
Bloodshot
Bloodshot is the titular character played by Vin Diesel. It is his entrance into what is thought to be the next big bank of comic book movies. The character comes from the Valiant Comics universe, which has been brought to life by DMG Entertainment. DMG Entertainment posts quite regularly on social media, so it’s easy to stay in the loop. Valiant Entertainment’s parent company DMG Entertainment CEO Dan Mintz has stated that Vin Diesel was fantastic to work with. He plans to turn Valiant into the next DC or Marvel, so we might see Diesel again in future cross-over films.
Up Next for Vin Diesel
Vin Diesel’s career seems to be at its apex, but it’s not slowing down anytime soon. He is currently returning to the fan-favorite roles of Dominic Toretto and Groot. He is also revamping the Riddick character and has a role in the upcoming sequel to Avatar. The actor’s net worth is an estimated $220 million US, which will continue to rise with these future projects.
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