One Guardians of the Galaxy star teased an imminent MCU return in a recent Instagram post. The Guardians have not been heard from within the MCU since 2023's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. In fact, with the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon, no characters from James Gunn's intergalactic trilogy have been confirmed to appear in the new film, making them one of the key exclusions for the Multiversal Marvel team-up.
That does not necessarily mean the star-faring team is done within the super-powered franchise for good; it is just that their next appearance has not been publicly announced. Actors like Karen Gillan have teased their potential MCU return over the last couple of months, leading some to believe they may end up appearing in Doomsday, but Marvel is not willing to officially confirm that.
In a new post on his personal Instagram page, Guardians actor Vin Diesel seemingly hinted that his MCU return may be imminent.
The Groot voice actor shared a new Reel that shows him talking to the camera about some training he is undergoing in "the middle of the desert." However, the caption of the post captured fans' eyes.
In the blurb accompanying the short video (which has now been edited to remove these details), Diesel wrote, "So much to be excited about," referencing a "Groot sequel" he just finished for Disney:"
"So much to be excited about… Finally finished the Groot sequel for our friends at Disney… The Arbor King. You all know the other films in process or upcoming, but something about the continuation of that beloved floral colossus just feels different. Haha."
This is Diesel's or Marvel's first mention of a Groot-centric project, leading fans to be slightly confused about what the Guardians star couple is discussing.
Diesel has appeared as the lovable Floral Colossus in eight total MCU projects over the years, including three Guardians of the Galaxy films, two Avengers movies, the Guardians Holiday Special, and two seasons of his own animated streaming series of shorts, I Am Groot. The character was featured as a part of the new Guardians team alongside Bradley Cooper's Rocket at the end of Guardians 3, seemingly setting up future adventures for the character.
When Will Groot Return in the MCU?
It is a little odd to hear Vin Diesel talking about another appearance as Groot, without any mention of the character currently on the Marvel Studios slate.
A fourth Guardians movie has yet to be announced, and no future seasons of I Am Groot have been added to the MCU calendar either. So, what could the actor possibly be talking about?
Some have speculated that his "Groot sequel" comment could refer to work the actor has potentially done for the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday. The Guardians characters have not been confirmed for Doomsday's reality-hopping plot, but given their popularity in the franchise, it would not be all that surprising if they were to appear in the film.
What seems more likely is that Marvel Studios is prepping another batch of I Am Groot shorts and has just not announced them yet. I Am Groot is a title that does not need a ton of lead time from announcement to release, so there is a good chance that Diesel is referencing this with these comments.
There is also always the chance that the Groot actor is not referring to anything specific with this recent Instagram caption.
The actor has occasionally mentioned unannounced titles (that remain unannounced) before, like earlier this year, when he said Disney was considering a Planet X movie in the MCU (the home of Groot's species).
