Today, actors Chris Pratt and Vin Diesel are two of the biggest stars in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) with both being members of the Guardians of the Galaxy. At the same time, both men have also been leading other franchises outside of Marvel, with Diesel being the main man behind the Fast and Furious franchise and Pratt, the star of the Jurassic World franchise.
Interestingly, recent reports indicate that the two actors are keen to work together on possible crossover between their two franchise worlds. And as far-fetched as that idea may seem though, one can’t help but wonder exactly how close Diesel and Pratt are with each other.
Vin Diesel Thought Chris Pratt Was The Perfect Star-Lord From The Beginning
Oddly enough, Pratt wasn’t convinced that he should join Marvel and much less, play Peter Quill in the beginning. At the same time, Guardians franchise helmer James Gunn also wasn’t convinced about casting Pratt, until casting director Sarah Finn managed to put Pratt in front of Gunn. “I was a little mad. I didn’t want to see him,” Gunn recalled during an interview with Collider. “But then, Chris came in and started to read, and this is 100% true, within 20 seconds, I was like, ‘Holy s***! That’s the guy! That’s who we’ve been looking for!” For the record, it seems Diesel never needed any convincing about Pratt being the perfect guy for the role.
Ever since Diesel agreed to join the MCU as Groot, the action star has been an avid supporter and promoter of Marvel films. And when he and his fellow cast members were set to make their debut in Guardians of the Galaxy, Diesel even declared on Instagram, “When you see #GotG you will see why Chris Pratt was born to play this role... He's that good…” The post was accompanied by a photo of Diesel and Pratt behind the scenes (and they seemed to be in a serious discussion). The caption also proudly identified the men as “Star-Lord and Groot…”
Later on, Diesel followed this up with another Instagram of him and Pratt together. This time, the two appeared to be in an event for their first Guardians film. On the caption, Diesel wrote, “Star Lord... The performances across the board... So grateful to be a part of it. #GotG.” The Fast and Furious star also posted another photo with Pratt while attending their movie premiere. This time, they were also joined by co-star Zoe Saldana.
Since Working Together, They’ve Hung Out Whenever Possible
Aside from sharing behind-the-scenes photos with Pratt, Diesel also once posted a group photo from what looked like a double date night. In the post, Diesel could be seen hanging out with his wife, Paloma Jimenez, Pratt, and Pratt’s ex-wife, actress Anna Faris. Diesel playfully captioned the pose, “I-I-I I'm hooked on a feeling...”
At the same time, Diesel later used a photo of himself and Pratt together to tease Guardian’s of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In the post, the actor also explained, “Pratt's excitement about Guardians of the Galaxy Dos is infectious...” Just a few years later, the two actors were also photographed doing press interviews side by side during the premiere of Avengers: Infinity War.
Based on these photos, it’s clear that Diesel and Pratt enjoy each other’s company, whether they’re on the set, promoting a film, or just hanging out. And so, one may readily assume that these actors would eventually find a way to keep working together, even if the projects are no longer part of the MCU.
So, Are They Gearing Up For A Crossover?
With these two men being quite close, it only makes sense that they would eventually team up for a non-Marvel film (or even series). That said, recent rumors are claiming that Diesel is eager to collaborate with Pratt on a possible crossover between Fast and Furious and Jurassic World. Industry insider Daniel Richtman even told We Got This Covered, “Vin wants him and Chris Pratt to work together [again], possibly in the FnF-JW crossover.”
And although the merging of the two franchises seems to be a mere rumor than anything else, there is a chance that Pratt is open to the idea, at least. “Yeah, let’s do it. That sounds good,” the actor jokingly told Cinema Blend while doing press for his latest film, The Tomorrow War. “Because…if there’s one thing a T-Rex can’t ‘F’ with, it’s family. Hey man, if that’s what the audience wants, I’m in… That’d be sick.” On a more serious note, Pratt also remarked, “I’d love to work with Vin. That’d be good.”
Pratt and Diesel are set to star in the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Meanwhile, it is also believed that Diesel’s Rocket would be making an appearance in Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder, which also stars Pratt.