The adorable…and often mischievous…Baby Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) from the “Guardians of the Galaxy” franchise is the star of “I Am Groot,” a collection of five brand-new shorts from Marvel Studios debuting on Disney+ August 10.
The Further Adventures of Baby Groot
Just about everyone fell in love with Baby Groot from “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” and this series explores his glory days growing up…in between helping to save the universe, of course.
The episodes aren’t long – less than 10 minutes each – but there’s plenty of family-friendly adventures to enjoy.
Joining him in one episode is his best friend Rocket (voiced by Bradley Cooper).
The executive producers of “I Am Groot” are Kevin Feige, Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Brad Winderbaum, and James Gunn (who also voice cameos in one episode).
Kirsten Lepore wrote and directed the shorts.
“It’s just so fun getting to know him,” Lepore explained in an interview with D23. “Even if it’s just three minutes, we learn so much by seeing him in these different scenarios. We learn so much about his character and how he behaves. I know that a lot of people really love Baby Groot, so I’m excited to give them more and help them get to know this guy a little bit better.”
Here is the official trailer:
But Is It Canon?
There seems to be a bit of a descrepency as to whether the events in the “I Am Groot” shorts are part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) canon.
Marvel Studios’ Head of Streaming, Television and Animation Brad Winderbaum has said that the show is MCU canon.
“It takes place actually between the end of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2′,” he explained, “and before the credit scene in the film’.”
That scene saw a teen Groot talking back to Peter Quill on board the ship.
However “Guardians of the Galaxy” writer/director James Gunn recently said in an online Q&A: “Some folks at Marvel seem to think it’s canonically MCU. I find that hard to see myself.”
So I guess we’ll find out later if any of these adventures have repurcussions on future Guardians projects.
Where We’ll Next See Groot
After these shorts, we’ll next see Groot in the “Guardians of the Galaxy: Holiday Special” coming to Disney+ this holiday season.
Then the last film in the trilogy, “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3,” will hit theaters on May 5, 2023. In talking about the film, Gunn has said, “it’s so, so big and dark and different from what people might be expecting it to be”
At last month’s SDCC, Marvel gave the following story synopsis for the film:
“In the film, Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe, along with protecting one of their own…a mission that, if unsuccessful, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.”
“Vol. 3” does sound dark, so make sure you laugh a bit with “I Am Groot” when it hits Disney+ this Wednesday, August 10, with all five shorts available for viewing.
A second season has already been announced.