Vin Diesel has definitely made his career being known as a big, bad character that takes no guff from anyone and is the kind of guy you don’t go looking to start a fight with unless you’re just that tough or that stupid. But he’s also made his voice just as known when it comes to various characters on screen and while some of them shouldn’t come as any surprise at this point there are still people out there that either don’t watch movies and don’t know, or those that can’t differentiate one voice from another. In any case Vin Diesel has had a few voice roles only that have been pretty memorable but still aren’t widely known by everyone, and he’s had a couple that really weren’t picked up on because he either didn’t get credit for them or people associate him with other characters that don’t have a lot to do with his voice roles.
Here are a few voice roles that some folks might not have realized he’s been responsible for.
5. Guardians of the Galaxy – Groot
This would have to be reserved for anyone that hasn’t seen Guardians of the Galaxy or Avengers: Infinity War, since his presence in these movies has been well-documented at this point. It’s very easy to hear his voice as the older Groot but when it comes to the baby and teenage versions of this character it’s easy to see how people might get a little mixed up. Of course it’s easy to remix someone’s voice and make them sound tiny, younger, or in some way very different than how they normally sound, but it’s been all Diesel throughout this characters’s run in the MCU and no one else.
4. The Fifth Element – Finger
This film got hyped for a while but didn’t get a whole lot of attention after it was released save for that which was granted by the fans. The only role that Diesel had in this entire film was the voice of Finger, the boss that Corbin Dallas is speaking to on the phone when he wakes up. You never get to see Finger, in fact you don’t even get to see the picture of him that Corbin picks up and grimaces at. He didn’t get any credit for this either, and if you listen it just barely sounds like him. But then you have to figure that he was a lot younger when this film was made and his voice hadn’t deepened noticeably yet.
3. Wheelman – Milo Burick
This character was obviously pretty easy since it’s another version of Dominic Teretto for the most part and therefore it had to be simple for him to just act it out as though he was making another Fast and Furious movie. This is the kind of role he seems to have fallen into easily since it invites a lot of action and not a lot of drama that might otherwise bog down the movie or the game. Plus being a wheelman is something that he’s had to get used to in his movie so it’s not a big stretch for him to get into this character and ride it out to the end. Of course that was a pun, it was meant to be that way.
2. The Chronicles of Riddick: Dark Fury-Riddick
There’s a possibility that someone else could take the role of Riddick in the animated movies but it’s kind of doubtful since the voice of Riddick is something that only Diesel seems capable of doing accurately all the time. After all he originated the character and made it into something that was dark, dangerous, and kind of personified just how tough the character is. Anyone else taking this part would seem like a cheap imitation for the most part and might even damage the reputation of the character a little bit. Vin Diesel simply has that voice that makes you want to back up a step when he starts talking.
1. The Iron Giant – Iron Giant
Ever notice that when aliens come to visit the earth we’re just vastly outmatched in every way? Their technology is just so advanced that we really don’t have much of a chance since they can usually blow us off the map with barely any effort. The Iron Giant is in fact a living weapon that is there to destroy and little else. But when he meets a young boy that teaches him a few things his overall murderous ways change and he becomes something more than what he was created to be. But in reality he’s kind of a walking arsenal of heavy firepower that just can’t be stopped. It’s worth noting that the Iron Giant made another appearance in Ready Player One, where he was pretty impressive.
Vin Diesel’s voice is just as great as his acting since it’s very distinctive and can create a great character.
