With James Gunn busy shepherding DC into its next phase, the chances of getting a new Guardians of the Galaxy movie are slim. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 brought the team’s story to a natural conclusion, but it also left the door open for individual characters to continue their journeys elsewhere. The Guardians themselves are still more or less intact, and with so many comic book stories left to explore, there’s no reason for Marvel to stop adapting their adventures.
One Guardian in particular is hoping that the franchise does just that. Vin Diesel — who’s voiced the benevolent Groot since 2014 — recently offered an update about a new Guardians spin-off. Through a lengthy post on Instagram, the actor claimed Disney is keen to produce a film based on “Planet X,” a comic book storyline “where Groot returns to his home planet.” Diesel joked that a Planet X film may be “Marvel’s most important movie,” and while that might not technically be true, it could be a fun return to that corner of the Marvel Universe.
Groot has to go now; his home planet needs him.
Planet X has been a part of the Marvel world for decades, but it’s rare to see it chosen as the main setting of a storyline. Not to be confused with an X-Men locale of the same name, Planet X is home to Flora Colossi, a race of walking, talking trees that live in harmony. Though most are blessed with genius IQ, the limits of their language means each member of the Flora Colossi has only one phrase in their vocabulary, “I am Groot.” That makes communication with other species a little difficult, and Flora Colossi sightings rare throughout the galaxy.
This isn’t the first time Diesel has expressed interest in a Groot-centric film. After the first season of I Am Groot premiered on Disney+, the actor took to Instagram to plant the seeds for a Planet X project. There hasn’t been any official confirmation from Marvel; if anything, Diesel’s not-so-subtle updates seem designed to stir up demand within the fandom. But a Planet X film wouldn’t be the worst idea, especially with the “new” Groot all grown up.
The current version of the character is actually the son of the original Groot, who we met in Guardians of the Galaxy. Adult Groot sacrificed himself to save the other Guardians, but left behind a piece of himself that the team later raised as their own. Baby Groot has grown up before our very eyes, but he’s never been to his homeworld, which does give Diesel an excuse to push for a Planet X movie. Whether Marvel can think up an interesting conflict that would drive the Guardians there remains to be seen; the comics don’t give us much to go on, but the franchise has made something out of nothing plenty of times before.
