Forget about Ms Marvel, and She-Hulk, Disney is bringing a far more adorable Marvel hero to streaming later this year. It’s just been confirmed that I Am Groot, a series of animated shorts featuring everyone’s favorite anthropomorphic tree, will be debuting on August 10.
We don’t know a great deal about this series, other than the fact it’s animated and will focus on the baby form of Groot — as seen in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2. However, Vin Diesel will be returning to voice Groot once more, proving an acting career doesn’t necessarily need a wide range of vocalization.
I Am Groot, Marvel Studios’ Original shorts, coming August 10 to @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/EODOFPLbt1June 5, 2022
The announcement also came with a poster, featuring Groot chilling out and listening to Star Lord’s Walkman. Also on show are two devious-looking alien blobs, who look ready to spoil Baby Groot’s nice time. Something tells me that red cocktail won’t be staying in that glass for very long.
It’s not clear whether we’ll see animated cameos from other Guardians, or what sort of shenanigans Groot will get up to. It’s also equally unclear whether the shorts are canon, with Guardians of the Galaxy writer/director James Gunn suggesting they may not be.
August 10 on @disneyplus. #IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/MWgQGLd19hJune 5, 2022
I Am Groot isn’t part of the main Guardians saga, unlike the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, but the shorts will be “canon to themselves;" whatever that means.
Though, to be honest, it’s not likely to matter either way. If I Am Groot is anything like other shorts on Disney Plus, Baby Groot’s adventures will be pretty self-contained and won’t have any impact on the MCU at large. That’s how it was with Dug Days and Olaf Presents, after all.
But Gunn is the general authority on all things Guardians of the Galaxy at Marvel Studios, and an executive producer on the show. If anyone would know what’s going on, it’s him.
The announcement tweet suggests that all I Am Groot shorts will be landing at the same time, as was the case with other short series. That means we have some Marvel content to watch between the season finale of Ms Marvel, which arrives on July 13, and the premiere of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, which arrives on August 17.
The rest of the Guardians of the Galaxy will return this December, with the arrival of the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special. Meanwhile Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 is due to arrive in theaters on May 5, 2023.
