The actor was given a sneak preview of the Marvel sequel and was completely "blown away."
Two months after filming wrapped on Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Vin Diesel was given a sneak peek of the highly anticipated Marvel sequel, and he took to Facebook Live to share his extreme praise.
Judging from the first few minutes of the clip, Diesel's shocked reaction channeled his inner Groot -- the giant, lovable tree monster he plays in the Guardians franchise -- as he repeatedly uttered the word, "Wow," interspersed with, "Oh, my God," and "You’re not going to believe this."
Director James Gunn -- who recently revealed a top-secret Groot-only script on Twitter -- joined the actor, explaining that the footage runs beyond what was initially revealed at San Diego Comic-Con earlier this summer, adding that Diesel is the first cast member to view the new clip.
"What I saw just now is like seeing Santa Claus in September, because you want Christmas to be tomorrow," the Fast 8 star admitted, after dubbing Gunn a genius. "I can’t believe you have to wait this long to see this movie."
Gunn and Diesel then agreed that the entire cast completely "upped their game" for the GOTG sequel, vastly praising Michael Rooker's performance as Yondu, Dave Bautista’s "comedic genius," and Chris Pratt who was "born" to play Star-Lord. The duo also expressed enthusiasm for the female characters in the film, alluding to Zoe Saldana’s "strength and confidence," as well as Karen Gillan's depth of character in Vol. 2.
While Kurt Russell is new to the Guardians family, both Diesel and Gunn had nothing but love for the actor. "Kurt Russell is one of my gems in the Fast franchise," admitted the 49-year-old actor about his Fast 8 co-star. "When you see someone that enthusiastic about the character that they play, it's infectious."
Diesel concluded by promising that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will "blow your mind" when it hits theaters on May 5, 2017.