20 Hugely Unexpected Roles In Upcoming Movies

7. Vin Diesel (Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk)

Tom Hardy Stormtrooper
TriStar

The Role: Shroom, a dead war comrade of protagonist Billy Lynn, who appears through flashbacks.

Why It's Unexpected: Vin Diesel almost never acts in "serious" dramatic fare, usually sticking to his staple franchises and several naff attempts to kickstart new ones. Seeing him working with two-time Best Director Oscar winner Ang Lee is quite the surprise indeed, and could be a major step-up for Diesel's acting cred.

Will It Work?: Definitely. Diesel rarely shows it but he has more range than most expect, presuming he has a suitable part and script to work with.

The role of a soldier seems perfect for him, and he certainly looks the part from his brief glimpse in the film's first trailer.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.