Diesel took the chance to recognize his fans in the almost 30-minute message before getting to the really exciting part: After thanking them for supporting the Fast and Furious franchise, and clamoring for him to join the MCU in the first place, he revealed that he will now be a part of Avengers film history.
“The Guardians will be included in Avengers: Infinity War, and that’s incredibly exciting,” said Diesel. The action star called the news “surreal” and reminded fans that he had posted a photo on Facebook in January 2014 of him with the Avengers behind him, adding that it’s now “going to come to pass.”
Diesel’s walk down memory lane also mentioned how he originally came to play Groot, again pointing to fan support as the reason. “That whole concept started from you all saying, ‘When are you going to be in a Marvel movie’?” he said.
The actor will play his humanoid Marvel character again in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 alongside Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, and Dave Bautista, which opens in theaters on May 5, 2017. Diesel didn’t clarify whether the entire gang would appear in the Guardians-Avengers crossover or what role they’ll play, but the news is exciting nonetheless. The cast will be especially star-studded as the film unites superheroes from the two series.
Avengers: Infinity War is slated to open on May 4, 2018.
