Fans of the Marvel Cinematic Universe were treated to a brief clip of the upcoming Disney+ animated series I Am Groot.Revealed during a highlight reel shown off during the Disney Meeting of Shareholders 2022 event, and later posted to Twitter by fans, the snippet of footage features a confident Baby Groot. While little can be gained from the visual, which sees the little wooden hero smirking, his young appearance suggests that the animated series will be set before the events of Avengers: Infinity War, which features Teenage Groot. While no other information was provided, the clip does confirm that I Am Groot will utilize a photorealistic animation style.
The last time fans saw Baby Groot was in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. After sacrificing himself to save the team in the first film, Groot restarts his life-cycle as a mischievous infant who needs constant care and attention. It could also be that I Am Groot will feature flashbacks to the Guardian of the Galaxy's infant stage.
Little is currently known about I Am Groot beyond the fact that it will consist of shorts directed by Kirsten Lepore. James Gunn, who first brought Groot to the big screen in Guardians of the Galaxy, will serve as an executive producer on the series and revealed that it would premiere on Disney+ at some point in 2022. A specific release window is currently unknown. Vin Diesel, who has portrayed the character in all of his MCU appearances, is confirmed to reprise the role once again for I Am Groot, and teased that the series may see the cinematic debut of the hero's homeworld Planet X.
While fans of Groot are undoubtedly looking forward to his first solo animated series, the wooden alien is also set to appear in the upcoming film Thor: Love and Thunder. The fourth MCU film dedicated to the God of Thunder will feature several Guardians of the Galaxy, including Star-Lord and a teenage version of Groot. The intergalactic heroes will be joined by the titular Thor and his companions which comprise Jane Foster, King Valkyrie and Korg.
I am Groot is expected to hit Disney+ in 2022 while Thor: Love and Thunder will premiere in theaters on 8 July.
Source: Disney, via Twitter