Vin Diesel Playing Multiple Characters In Upcoming Marvel Project?
Vin Diesel will be taking on a much more expanded role within Marvel, as he is rumored to be portraying multiple characters in a new project.
I am Groot. Three words packed with an awful lot of meaning to Marvel fans ever since the character Groot, a sentient tree voiced by Vin Diesel made its Marvel Cinematic Universe debut in Guardians of the Galaxy, capturing everyone’s hearts with his noble sacrifice and adorable resurrection. Now, according to The Direct, Groot’s Dinsey+ spin-off series I Am Groot, will feature Vin Diesel voicing several iterations of the character in the upcoming Marvel project.
The Direct clued on to the possibility that I Am Groot, which hits Disney+ on August 10, features Vin Diesel portraying several incarnations of the iconic and loveable marvel hero courtesy of a promotional ad from toy manufacturer Hot Toys, who are based out of Hong Kong. In the ad, several iterations of the adorable Baby Groot can be seen in Bobble-Head form, with Hot Toys stating, “The heart and soul of the Guardians of the Galaxy is going solo in the next Marvel Studios’ series – I Am Groot. To prepare fans for the new adventures of Groot, Hot Toys is delighted to unveil a new Cosbi collection that turns the powerful but gentle walking tree to adorable miniature collectables!” Considering this is a promotional tie-in with I Am Groot, odds are the multiple iterations of Groot conjured by the Hot Toys team will feature in the show.
GIANT FREAKIN ROBOT first learned of I Am Groot way back in 2020, when Marvel announced that Baby Groot was going to be the center of his very own Disney+ series. I Am Groot is set to be a series of shorts featuring the beloved little Groot that went down a storm when he appeared in 2017’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and like Baby Yoda (aka Grogu) since, Baby Groot was a massive merchandising ploy for Disney. The previously mentioned Hot Toys advertisement is proof that Groot’s marketability has endured the test of time. Especially considering we have seen Groot as an adult, baby, and now a teenager.
James Gunn, writer/director of Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 and the upcoming The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 serves as an executive producer on I Am Groot. Approximately a month ago, Gunn responded to a fan on Twitter asking where the new Marvel show sits in the Guardians continuity, to which Gunn replied that the show does not sit within the Guardians saga whatsoever. Given that Groot has grown up over the last few Marvel projects since I Am Groot was announced, this makes sense, and given that the show is a series of animated shorts and most likely aimed at a younger target market, continuity, although the MCU’s strong suit, isn’t necessarily that important here.
Fans of Vin Diesel’s Groot will be very happy with this year’s Marvel releases, you can currently see Groot in cinemas in the latest Marvel adventure, Thor: Love and Thunder, and the August 10 release date of I Am Groot is just weeks away. I Am Groot won’t be the last we see of the titular Marvel character in 2022 either as The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special makes its bow on Disney+ this festive season, helping bridge the gap to next May’s release of the long-awaited third installment in the Guardians saga.
