Disney+ has allowed the MCU to expand in ways never seen before. WandaVision opened up a new chapter of the MCU not just as the first entry in Phase 4 but also as the first series to come out of Marvel Studios. But episodic adventures aren't the last evolution of the MCU to come in Phase 4, with The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special coming this festive season. But beyond that, the streaming service will release its first MCU shorts this year with I Am Groot.
Marvel Studios has yet to confirm whether the series of Groot-centric shorts will be animated or live-action, but Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn is on board in a producer capacity. The series will see the lovable baby tree growing up in his glory days and getting into trouble.
The Guardians of the Galaxy spin-off has yet to set an official premiere date outside the 2022 window, but new evidence points to a release sooner than expected.
When Will Groot's Disney+ Spin-Off Release?
In a recent Amazon listing update, Funko revealed the next box for its bi-monthly Marvel Collector Corps subscription service will be themed around the I Am Groot Disney+ series and shipping in May.
Every past box has shipped within a month before or after the MCU venture it is inspired by - except for Black Widow and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness - which shipped within the window of their pre-delay release dates.
This pattern indicates that I Am Groot could premiere on Disney+ sometime this summer.
What's I Am Groot All About?
Baby Groot made his debut in the climactic ending of Guardians of the Galaxy and maintained the miniature form through the second installment, before growing up to be a grumpy teenager in the post-credits scene.
The Baby Groot focus of the shorts implies the series will take place between the first two entries in the trilogy and maybe even following the second's post-credits tease. However, these shorts are unlikely to have much connective tissue and will instead pursue telling a funny joke with a clever laugh-out-loud punch line.
One previously released storyboard from I Am Groot included Dave Bautista's Drax, but it remains unclear if he will appear in the final product of the series. Fans can only hope Bautista and his Guardians co-stars will reprise their roles for the shorts if they do indeed show up, especially after some voices were absent from What If...?.
I Am Groot will premiere this year, exclusively on Disney+.
