Vin Diesel Reportedly Returning as Groot in Thor: Love and Thunder

November 16, 2020

As pre-production on Thor: Love and Thunder continues in Australia, Guardians of the Galaxy star Vin Diesel is reportedly set to reprise his role as fan-favorite Groot in Marvel Studios’ highly-anticipated fourth installment. This revelation comes after a new video by Australian paparazzi Kobie Thatcher has been released, featuring the Fast & Furious actor arriving at an airport in Sydney.

Last Friday, it has also been reported that Chris Pratt has signed on to join Chris Hemsworth in Thor: Love and Thunder, making Diesel the second confirmed Guardian to appear in Taika Waititi’s upcoming MCU film. Their official casting shouldn’t actually come as a shock with Diesel previously teasing earlier this year that “Thor will incorporate some of the Guardians of the Galaxy.”

Thor: Love and Thunder will be directed by Waititi (Jojo Rabbit) on a script co-written by him and Jennifer Kaytin Robinson (Someone Great), which will be the followup to Waititi’s wildly successful 2017 sequel Thor: Ragnarok. Oscar-winner Natalie Portman is set to return as Jane and will now be wielding the mighty Mjolnir. Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson will also return as Thor and Valkyrie, respectively. Academy Award winner Christian Bale (The Dark Knight trilogy) will portray the main antagonist in the film. The female Thor storyline is based on Jason Aaron’s run on “The Mighty Thor” in which a cancer-stricken Jane Foster takes up the mantle and powers of Thor.

Thor and Valkyrie were last seen in this year’s highest-grossing film of all time Avengers: Endgame, with the god of thunder entrusting his responsibilities as the King of Asgard to Valkyrie as he joins the Guardians of the Galaxy on their next mission. According to Vin Diesel, the Guardians might also make an appearance in the fourth Thor film.

Originally set to debut on November 2021, Thor: Love and Thunder will now be arriving in theaters on February 11, 2022.