The MCU has never been expanding as rapidly as it has now, with the Multiverse Saga being packed with new franchises, spin-offs, and continuations of existing tales. Among the latest heroes to lead his own solo outing was Vin Diesel's Groot, who starred in his own series of shorts spinning out of Guardians of the Galaxy.
Despite having debuted under director James Gunn as just "a bunch of a-holes," the Guardians have since become household names. Fans are now in the midst of the team's most important year yet as they appear in I Am Groot, Thor: Love and Thunder, a Disney+ Holiday Special, and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
But with Summer 2023's Vol. 3 expected to mark the end of this iteration of the Guardians, fans are preparing to bid farewell to everybody's favorite band of intergalactic misfits. However, according to one Guardians of the Galaxy actor, the end of the road may not have arrived quite yet.
Vin Diesel Claims Marvel Wants a Solo Groot Movie
Guardians of the Galaxy's Groot actor Vin Diesel shared a post on Instagram that may have revealed Marvel Studios' plans to develop an MCU movie based on the talking tree's homeworld.
After noting his niece's love for the recent I Am Groot Disney+ shorts, Diesel curiously ended with "No wonder Marvel wants to make the Planet X movie:"
"So my niece called me and said… thank you uncle Vin for making I Am Groot, haha… the shorts written and directed by the talented Kristin Lepore. It was a blast making, but it’s also a blast watching it with my angels. No wonder Marvel wants to make the Planet X movie. All love. #FloraColossi #AlphaGroot #PlanetX"
Planet X is the homeworld of the Flora colossus, the alien race from which Groot comes, speaking in the same confusing dialect as him that only the likes of Rocket Racoon and a few others can understand.
Diesel may well have just been joking about the MCU blockbuster prospects, as Groot leading a solo movie currently appears unlikely.
Alternatively, Diesel may actually be referring to the "Planet X" comic storyline, starring the X-Men, or the mutant safe haven of the same name. The advanced civilization was created to serve as a home for mutants if Earth were destroyed.
Is Marvel Really Making a Groot Movie?
With the Marvel Studios slate being as packed as it currently is, the chances are slim that the studio has an interest in giving Groot his own solo movie. The Guardians' talking tree already has a successful series of shorts running on Disney+ that was announced at Comic-Con to be returning for Season 2.
Speaking to Disney's D23, director Kirsten Lepore teased the follow-up shorts as she promised fans will be treated to Groot in "a lot of different, exciting scenarios" with the "same spirit" as the first batch of hilarious skits:
“I can’t give away any of the details but they are all super fun and in the same spirit as the first collection. You’ll get to see Groot in a lot of different, exciting scenarios!”
Not only would Groot be tough to write as the star of his own adventure due to his one-line nature, but the VFX required would ultimately prove rather expensive. This same logic, on top of questions of whether fans are even interested, likely prohibits the talking tree from having his own full-length Disney+ series or special.
So, with Marvel Studios unlikely to be pushing for Groot's Planet X to have its own movie, Diesel is probably joking or greatly misunderstood someone else's joke. Nonetheless, perhaps Planet X will be visited in Vol. 3 or a future installment of the I Am Groot shorts that explores his backstory or sees him return home.
For now, Groot appears best served to continue his solo adventures on his I Am Groot shorts - which are streaming now on Disney+ and will return for Season 2.
