A Vin Diesel movie is currently topping the streaming charts, but it might not be the one you’re expecting. The Last Witch Hunter, Diesel’s dark action/fantasy romp from 2015, is currently at #4 on Netflix’s Top 10 list at the time of writing. It’s a far cry from its reception a decade ago, which mostly consisted of critics calling it “grim and plodding.” But time seems to have been very kind, as viewers are apparently drawn to the mix of fantasy elements and action that power The Last Witch Hunter. It also marks a golden opportunity for Netflix, as the streamer is currently developing a Dungeons & Dragons series based on the Forgotten Realms setting.
If Netflix wants to make its D&D show stand out and lean into the success that The Last Witch Hunter is enjoying, it should tap Vin Diesel for a leading role. In fact, The Last Witch Hunter shares more than a few things in common with Dungeons & Dragons lore.
‘The Last Witch Hunter’ Took Inspiration From Vin Diesel’s ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Character
The Last Witch Hunter follows Kaulder (Diesel), a warrior who’s cursed with immortality by a witch queen and uses his newfound powers to keep the balance between witches and humans. Diesel would eventually reveal that Kaulder was based on a character he created for a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, named Melkor the Witch-Hunter, and how conversations with screenwriter Cory Goodman led to the first draft of The Last Witch Hunter:
“For the 30th anniversary Dungeons and Dragons the company at the time asked me to write the foreword for the book. [In it] I talked about my experience growing up playing Dungeons and Dragons religiously. I even talked about a character that I had named Melkor — a name that obviously I stole from “The Silmarillion” — and [how] that character was a witch hunter. [Then] about four years ago I met with a writer name Cory Goodman and we started talking. Someone put us together because he was a D&D player. [Afterwards, Cory] went off to write a whole film around my character Melkor.”
If you look at the plot of The Last Witch Hunter, it actually does resemble a Dungeons and Dragons adventure. Kaldur, while a witch-hunter, has more in common with a warrior or a fighter class in D&D. He’s also accompanied by priests (Elijah Wood and Michael Caine) who serve in the role of a cleric, and befriends a magic user in Rose Leslie‘s Chloe. The final fight even takes place in a dungeon! Things even came full circle when Matthew Mercer, who’d created his own Dungeons & Dragons-influenced adventure with The Legend of Vox Machina, would create a Witch Hunter class for D&D‘s 5th Edition — which Diesel playtested on the week The Last Witch Hunter premiered!
Vin Diesel and Netflix Could Both Benefit From a ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ Partnership
Given Vin Diesel’s love of Dungeons & Dragons, it would make perfect sense if Netflix approached him for a major role in the D&D series. He clearly has the nerd cred to bring to the role, and it would provide Netflix with a familiar face to hook viewers who either aren’t that familiar with the property or are wary of it. Diesel is also one of the few big-name celebrities who could serve as a draw and deliver actual character work, since most of his iconic roles, like Groot in the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy or the titular metal behemoth in The Iron Giant, have him expressing a wealth of emotion with just his voice. However, Diesel also needs a new project, as his most lucrative franchise will conclude with Fast X: Part 2. Efforts to get a sequel to The Last Witch Hunter off the ground also haven’t taken root, while his other franchises like xXx and The Chronicles of Riddick remain in Hollywood limbo. Putting Diesel in a well-known property like Dungeons & Dragons would help capitalize on the streaming success of the first film. It would also be the best way for Diesel to live out his Dungeons & Dragons dreams, especially if he gets to play another witch hunter.
The Last Witch Hunter is available to stream on Netflix.
