Marvel Studios has produced the most expansive, successful, and beloved franchise in Hollywood history. It's true; the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been a force since its introduction with Iron Man in 2008 and it has proceeded to tell some of the most compelling long-form stories across the years that have come since, ensuring that fans just can't get enough of the MCU.
It's incredible, and what makes this particular franchise all the more impressive is that storylines and plot threads can be followed up in just about any installments; they don't even have to be direct sequels. That's the beauty of the MCU in that it is a shared universe that can tell multiple stories across many films. Look no further than this year's Captain America: Brave New World, which carried on storylines that hadn't been explored since 2008's The Incredible Hulk.
But that doesn't negate the need for direct sequels, and Marvel has made plenty of them, with Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Spider-Man, Black Panther, Ant-Man, Captain Marvel, and the Guardians of the Galaxy all headlining their own subfranchises within the MCU. It turns out, however, that the studio might be making another sequel... one we didn't exactly see coming.
Marvel is making a Groot sequel, Vin Diesel says
Vin Diesel is a man of few words in the MCU (and those words almost always consist of "I Am Groot") but he has seemingly confirmed that Marvel Studios is making another Groot project. The Fast and the Furious star voices the beloved character in the MCU and he recently took to social media to celebrate some victories. The caption of the post included a mention of an apparent Groot sequel:
"So much to be excited about… Finally finished the Groot sequel for our friends at Disney… The Arbor King."
Needless to say, the caption very quickly sent fans into a meltdown. Diesel has since edited the post to remove all references to the Groot project, but now that the idea is officially out in the world, we're all wondering as to what it actually is.
Although Marvel Studios hasn't announced any Groot sequel, there is a likely candidate as to what Diesel is actually referring to, and that could be a potential third season of I Am Groot. The short-form Disney Plus show is a series of shorts which catches us up with Baby Groot as he learns about his own existence, growing up along the way and embarking on fun, light-hearted (and yet totally outrageous) adventures across the galaxy.
The first season was released in summer 2022 while the second came in September 2023. Given that the character first debuted in James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy and went on to become a fixture of the trilogy, it made sense that Gunn served as an executive producer on the show's first season. However, since the conclusion of the Guardians trilogy (and Gunn's move to DC Studios), he wasn't involved in the second season. It was believed that the show would just be quietly rested after that due to the fact that Gunn couldn't be involved going forward. And given that is has been two years since new episodes were even discussed, it was looking like that might indeed be the case.
But that might turn out to be wrong after all. Diesel had previously alluded to there being more to Groot's story when he referred to a potential "Groot movie" but fans simply thought he was either speculating or joking, particularly due to the "haha" featured in the statement. His more recent comments - along with their deletion - seem to confirm that the project is very real.
The use of the word "sequel" also seems to imply that it could continue Groot's story (instead of filling in gaps like I Am Groot did) and that would technically make it a follow-up to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.3. If that is the case, it sounds like this project could revolve around Groot's return back to his home planet. Given how much fans adore the heart of the character, it's safe to say this would be an emotional story for audiences.
Whether this mysterious Groot project is I Am Groot season 3, a short, or perhaps even an animated Groot movie, the one thing that Diesel has confirmed is that the beloved Guardian of the Galaxy will be back in the MCU's future. And that alone is news worth celebrating.
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