Vin Diesel To Play Duke Nukem?
Vin Diesel is the newest actor to be rumored to play the video game hero.
This article is more than 2 years old
Vin Diesel is the kind of actor you hire when you want a very specific kind of performance. The Fast & Furious star has become synonymous with a certain type of endearing meathead action hero. That’s not to say he can’t do something that’s occasionally surprising, but for the most part, he has found his niche and is sticking to it. And a new rumor makes it sound like he might be playing one of the meatiest heads in the entire action genre.
Yes, Vin Diesel is allegedly in the running to play the video game action parody character, Duke Nukem. We just got done reporting that John Cena might be in the running for the same role, but it is sounding like the people behind Duke Nukem are trying to cast a wider net. If these rumors are true, they certainly know the type of actor they want to star in this picture.
Frankly, Vin Diesel sounds like good casting at first. But, upon closer inspection, he might be completely wrong for the part of a self-parodic cartoon like Duke Nukem. Diesel is not an actor who is known for poking fun at himself. Quite the opposite. Diesel has a reputation, both on and off the screen, for taking himself very seriously. That commitment and sense of sincerity is part of the reason he and some of his characters have gained such a loyal following over the years.
However, Duke Nukem is a character that is practically devoid of sincerity. He acts as an over-the-top parody of egotistical action heroes from the ’80s and ’90s. Vin Diesel is actually closer to being one of those kinds of characters in real life. Maybe there would be a level of authenticity to the role thanks to his casting, but we doubt that Diesel would be in on the joke enough to make that work.
All of this is pure speculation at this point since we don’t even have official confirmation on the status of a Duke Nukem movie. No writers or a director have been announced. At this point, any connection Vin Diesel might have to a potential Duke Nukem movie is tangential at best. It is possible that the rights owners behind Duke Nukem are trying to get a feature film going and are developing a shortlist of desired actors. John Cena was officially attached to the role back in 2018, but there was no forward momentum with that project after its initial announcement.
Regardless, it certainly sounds like a Duke Nukem movie is brewing. Will Vin Diesel actually end up in the role? Maybe! When a possible movie is at this ethereal stage, anything is a possibility. Until a script starts getting developed, it is all pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking. Hopefully, we can look forward to some more concrete news about this Duke Nukem movie and will report it to you when it finally solidifies. In the meantime, here’s a reminder that Vin Diesel managed to get a movie made about his own Dungeons & Dragons character. Yes, that actually happened.
