Vin Diesel broke out in Hollywood as antihero Riddick in Pitch Black, and one wild Riddick theory suggests his movies all share a universe.
Vin Diesel’s breakout role in Hollywood was playing antihero Richard B. Riddick in Pitch Black, and now a wild Riddick theory ties every movie he’s made into the same universe. The success of the sci-fi sleeper hit, in which Riddick battled aliens on a remote planet, spawned two sequels, The Chronicles of Riddick and Riddick, but more importantly, it made Diesel an action-star, which he parlayed into the xXx movies, the mega-franchise Fast and Furious, and the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy. Currently, he’s gearing up for Fast 10, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and at some point, another entry into the Chronicles of Riddick franchise.
Between hopping from one blockbuster franchise to another, Diesel has also appeared in dramas like Steven Spielberg’s Saving Private Ryan, broad comedies like The Pacifier, and fantasy movies based on his passions, like the Dungeons & Dragons– esque The Last Witch Hunter. There have always been detractors who maintain that with his hulking physique and monotone voice, Diesel plays the same character in every role, but now a Reddit theory provides a compelling reason for that. Connecting The Pacifier to Riddick might seem like a stretch, but the level of analysis put into the theory makes a convincing argument.
Theory: Vin Diesel Has Only Ever Played One Character
According to the theory, “the central idea” states that not only has Vin Diesel only ever played one character, but that character is also known as “The UrDiesel,” a sort of super-deity that is the central figure of his expansive filmography. Its foundation is based on the character Diesel played in The Last Witch Hunter known as Kaulder, who in the film was born in the 8th century and cursed to be “ageless and immortal.” Not only is he cursed with this immortality, but he also has superhuman strength, an unlimited amount of funds from an ancient order of the Catholic Church, and “an affinity for fast cars.”
If that description sounds familiar to another character Diesel has played, it should, because Dom Toretto from the Fast and Furious franchise also likes fast cars, has vast fiscal resources that let him travel around the world despite sporadic winnings from a few underground car races, and despite being a pretty ordinary human, is capable of “kicking down a parking garage.” These aspects of Toretto’s character imply that he could be just one of The UrDiesel’s many identities, one used to “hide among mortal humans” without looking conspicuous. Also worthy of note is that Toretto is seemingly Catholic, seen praying over meals and wearing conspicuously large crosses.
Beyond Toretto, Diesel’s character Xander Cage, an extreme athlete turned superspy in the xXx movies is purported to be another one of The UrDeisel’s identities, along with his super soldier in Bloodshot and even the Navy SEAL turned babysitter that he plays in The Pacifier. It only makes sense that being cursed with immortality would make The UrDiesel lonely, so he “occasionally babysits to restore his faith in humanity.” All of these characters have different personalities, but highlighting the disparate tones of their characters could be one way The UrDeisel disrupts suspicion about his longevity from the surrounding humans.
