In a bit of news that should make Marvel movie fans shout “I am Groot,” it’s looking increasingly likely that we won’t need to wait until Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 to see everyone’s favorite a-holes back in action.
Star-Lord, Groot, and the rest of the team will appear in Thor: Love and Thunder, according to Groot voice actor Vin Diesel.
While promoting his upcoming movie Bloodshot (based on the comic book of the same name), Diesel told ComicBook Now that Groot and the Guardians will have a role in November 2021’s Thor: Love and Thunder.
Taika Waititi is going to use the Guardians of the Galaxy in Thor 4.
And Groot is evolving.#FirstPrintingpic.twitter.com/iFVZWKBr0J
— Brandon Davis (@BrandonDavisBD) March 9, 2020
Diesel admitted that he might be spilling details on something that wasn’t supposed to be known quite yet, and indicated that plans for the film are still at an early stage — so nothing is official yet.
However, Diesel didn’t stop there, and also suggested that the version of his character, Groot, that appears in the Love and Thunder will be different than any form we’ve seen the sentient tree take so far. Following the original Groot, then baby Groot, and, most recently, teenage Groot, Diesel teased the next evolution of the character as “Alpha Groot.”
There’s no character named “Alpha Groot” in Marvel Comics lore, so it’s anyone’s guess what Diesel is hinting at, but the character’s history does include several story arcs in which Groot takes a gigantic form for one reason or another — which could be where the “Alpha” comes in.
The Guardians of the Galaxy’s involvement in Love and Thunder shouldn’t come as much of a surprise for anyone who watched Avengers: Endgame, as Thor was seen heading off into space with Star-Lord and the team at the end of the film. Marvel’s god of thunder even joked about renaming the team “Asgardians of the Galaxy.”
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was initially expected to premiere in 2020, but was later delayed due to the departure of writer and director James Gunn. The filmmaker later returned to the project, but the film has yet to be given an official release date by Marvel.
Thor: Love and Thunder is directed by Taika Waititi, who directed the previous, critically acclaimed Thor: Ragnarok. The film is scheduled to hit theaters November 5, 2021.
