Vin Diesel "Unlikely" To Play Black Bolt In Marvel's 'Inhumans'

By Peter ScirettaNov. 18, 2016 1:30 pm EST

For years now, Vin Diesel has been not-so-subtlely teasing that he might have something to do with Marvel's Inhumans. The actor has said that he wants to play Black Bolt but under a number of conditions. But now that the movie has been demoted to a television series with a two-week IMAX release, does this mean Vin Diesel is no longer interested? His Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn thinks it's "unlikely."

Asked during a recent Facebook Q&A whether his Guardians of the Galaxy star Vin Diesel will portray the Inhumans ruler Black Bolt (aka Blackagar Boltagon), director James Gunn responded that the prospect is unlikely:

"'The Inhumans' is going to be a TV show. Unless Vin wants to take a huge pay cut and sign up to do a TV show it seems unlikely."

Now to be fair, a lot of top-level Hollywood talent have recently been making the move to television, but usually with the prospect of portraying a really interesting character for a 10-12 episode run. I'm not sure a network comic book television series would allow Diesel to stretch his legs enough to make the pay cut worth it. Last year Diesel told MTV that it was "not a matter of me wooing Marvel, it's a matter of Marvel wooing me."

"And I love them, but I'm just saying, show me a dope script and show me a great director, all of which I know that Kevin [Feige] is capable of, because he dazzled me when he suggested Groot. That was, like, profound to me."

Feige isn't really a part of the Marvel television picture, and I'm not sure Diesel will find his amazing script or great director on this ABC television series. Earlier this week, Marvel announced that the Inhumans movie will now be happening on the small screen as a new ABC network television series. The first two episodes of The Inhumans will be shot with IMAX cameras and will have an exclusive run in IMAX theaters for two weeks in September 2017. The series will then air on ABC that Fall. If you're interested in learning more about the Inhumans, read this.