Marvel Studios head of streaming Brad Winderbaum has confirmed the upcoming Disney+ animated series I Am Groot is indeed canon to the Marvel Cinematic Universe -- though it takes place in a very small window of time as far as the franchise at large is concerned.
During an interview with ComicBook.com, Winderbaum revealed that I Am Groot takes place after the main events of 2017's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, but before the film's mid-credits scene featuring Teen Groot. "It's a narrow window, right?" he said. "It takes place actually between the end of Guardians 2 and before the tag scene in Guardians 2."
Winderbaum continued, "So, it's in this narrow window where Groot's in that kind of post-toddler stage of development. And it was something that really excited [Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn]. And also, James also knew [I Am Groot director Kirsten Lepore's] work and was excited about working with her as well."
Marvel Studios' I Am Groot was initially announced for Disney+ during The Walt Disney Company's Investor Day in December 2020, with Variety later describing the project as a series of "'photo-real' animated shorts centered on Baby Groot." However, despite I Am Groot being a Marvel Studios production and ostensibly focusing on the same version of Groot seen in the MCU, the aforementioned Gunn previously cast doubt on the series' canonicity. "They're canon to themselves, I'd think," he said of the shorts.
I Am Groot Premieres in August 2022
The MCU's original, adult version of Groot made his debut in Gunn's 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy, with Vin Diesel providing the character's voice. While Groot sacrificed himself towards the end of the film, he was soon reborn as Baby Groot, who went on to appear in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. One of the sequel's mid-credit scenes revealed that at some point after the main events of the film, Baby Groot had grown into Teen Groot.
Teen Groot later appeared in 2018's Avengers: Infinity War, 2019's Avengers: Endgame and, most recently, this year's Thor: Love and Thunder. Audiences will once again see Groot and company in Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which is currently scheduled to release in theaters on May 5, 2023 as part of Phase Five of the MCU. In the interim, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special is expected to premiere on Disney+ this December.
Marvel Studios' I Am Groot premieres on Disney+ on Wednesday, Aug. 10.
Source: ComicBook.com