I Am Groot are the words on every Marvel fans lips today, not just the eponymous infantilized sequoia’s, as the second season of Groot’s very own animated miniseries hits Disney Plus. While you might think MCU outings don’t come more innocuous than this one, it’s still managing to throw our understanding of Marvel’s power rankings and what’s to come in the franchise’s future for a loop. Off the screen, meanwhile, attempting to work out what’s next for Jonathan Majors‘ career is proving hard to conquer…
Jonathan Majors’ domestic violence trial delayed once more leaves his Kang continuation up in the air
In news that hardly came as a surprise, Jonathan Majors was supposed to start his much-delayed trial in court this Sep. 6, but now his lawyers have managed to get it pushed back yet again. It’s been widely assumed that the Quantumania actor’s career could get back on track only if he won his trial, but at this rate it seems unlikely the trial will ever actually make it before a jury, so what exactly that means for his reputation and continued commitment to the MCU is anyone’s guess. Marvel has a bit of a reprieve due to the strikes holding up production, but sooner or later work on Avengers: The Kang Dynasty has to begin so a definitive decision will have to be made.
I Am Groot throws a wrench in our understanding of MCU canon within just four minutes
I Am Groot might be even more micro-sized than its tiny titular character, but the season two finale in particular manages to pack a lot into its runtime, despite being less than five minutes long. First, it may have just confirmed that Groot has (*Robin Williams’ Genie impression*) phenomenal cosmic power like no other MCU hero, possessing a grand destiny that tees Marvel up perfectly for Guardians of the Galaxy 4. And then it goes and slips in the barest tease at a villain who could easily take over from Kang if the Multiverse Saga does end up requiring a swift supervillain shake-up.
Vin Diesel is no doubt revving up to add to his 22 sequel projects with yet another Marvel movie
Dwayne Johnson may be trying his best to match his old rival’s record (hello, needless Moana remake), but Vin Diesel remains the king of the sequel, with a whopping total of 22 of Diesel’s projects being some kind of sequel, spin-off, or off-shoot. And I Am Groot season two is unlikely to be his last roll of the dice in the MCU either. The show’s creator is more than up for the idea of a full-blown movie based on Groot, which feels a likely possibility following Guardians Vol. 3‘s enormous success. It’s not like we need James Gunn around to keep writing Groot’s dialogue either, so the Flora Colossus really can go on for as long as Diesel wants to keep saying the same three words over and over. And given this is the same guy who’s said the word “family” over and over in 10 Fast & Furious films and counting, we probably don’t have anything to worry about.
Groot turning out to be all-powerful is just another reminder why you have to pay close to attention to each and every Marvel universe update lest the rules change completely, so keep ’em peeled.