Five Marvel Phase Three characters Vin Diesel could play

Vin Diesel has hinted strongly that he'll be involved in Marvel's much-anticipated Phase Three rollout, and it seems he's looking beyond the prospect of voicing Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy.

But is there really room for the Riddick star in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Given that the only Phase Three film confirmed so far is Edgar Wright's Ant-Man, we don't really know. But because speculation's always fun, here are five Marvel characters Diesel could play… should the films get made, of course.

Ant-Man: Egghead
While Diesel definitely has hero potential, we can't quite see him being picked to play super-smart size-altering scientist Hank Pym. He's too gruff and muscly.

But there is potential here for Vin to take on Edgar Wright's as-yet unrevealed villain. The obvious choice would be Pym's evil robot creation Ultron, but Joss Whedon's plans for Avengers 2 have probably scuppered that option good and proper. So what other options does Wright have?

Taking the actor's build into account, our money is on Egghead, an atomic scientist and one of Pym's strongest opponents. Not only does Diesel have an appropriately-shaped bonce, we can see him delivering the character's comedy one-liners with aplomb.

Other notable foes include Radioactive Man, a radiation-infected scientist whose powers include heat blasts and hypnotic light. While the character's Chinese heritage would have to be rewritten, he's also come up against Thor on occasion, which leads us nicely to...

[Edgar Wright talks Ant-Man character arc]

Thor 3: Surtur
A Thor threequel hasn't been announced yet, but it's probably definitely going to happen. And while we can't see Marvel missing out on the opportunity to feature more of Tom Hiddleston's much-loved Loki, there's certainly room for another big bad from some dark corner of the cosmos.

Enter Surtur, a huge, fiery, sword-wielding demon from Asgard imprisoned in the Earth's core by Odin. The character has a long, complicated and bloody history with our favourite Norse God, and there's precedent for a team-up with the mischievous Loki, too.

[Natalie Portman thinks ‘Thor 3’ will be made]

Captain America 3: Baron Zemo
Because we can't quite see Diesel playing sidekick to anyone, we're forced to go down the villain route once again for his fantasy part in Captain America 3.

Rather confusingly, there are two Baron Zemo's in the Marvelverse, the original Nazi scientist Heinrich and his vengeful son, Helmut. Ultimately, Diesel could take on either role - both master swordsmen and skilled hand-to-hand fighters. Mostly, though, we just want to hear Diesel do the accent.

[Evans: More fights in Captain America 2]

The Avengers 3: Luke Cage
Again, a second The Avengers sequel is a very likely probability rather than a certainty but it's also the perfect opportunity for Diesel to get his hero on in the shape of Luke Cage, aka Power Man.

An invulnerable street-smart ex-con with superhuman strength, Cage could be the perfect role for Diesel - mostly because he's massive. He's also a bit of a hothead, which seems to suit the actor well.

[The Falcon to appear in Avengers 2?]

Inhumans: Black Bolt
Rumours that Marvel are planning a movie version of niche cosmic title Inhumans have been doing the rounds for a while. And should they come to pass, Diesel could be the perfect man to lead this superhero gang - and a franchise to boot.

A highly enhanced being with the power to tear a planet apart with just his voice, Black Bolt is a bit of a badass. But could Diesel manage to convincingly play a largely silent character?

[Vin Diesel almost starred in Marvel Phase 3 film]

'Thor 2' hits cinemas on 30 October this year, 'Guardians of the Galaxy' will be released next summer on August 1, 2014, while Marvel's third phase will kick off with the release of 'Ant-Man' on November 6, 2015.