Marvel Comics has released a second tease for the upcoming new Guardians of the Galaxy series, and it looks like the fan-favorite Groot is going to face unrevealed danger and perhaps even death. The mysterious "Grootfall" story will be an integral part of the new Guardians of the Galaxy run that has the difficult job to follow the stellar series by Al Ewing and Juann Cabal, which ended in 2021.
The gentle wooden giant will apparently be at the center of the new Guardians of the Galaxy series, with a storyline called "Grootfall". It's still unknown what this ominous word entails, and Marvel will reveal new details on December 6 with a full announcement. For the moment, going back to the ending of Ewing and Caball's run, the Guardians were actually in a very good place. Following the crisis with the Dark Olympians, the Guardians of the Galaxy were sanctioned by the Galactic Council as official protectors of the cosmos, giving them the official authority they always lacked. They then helped the galaxy work together to stop the threat of Dormammu and Ego, the Living Planet, and their bond was stronger than ever.
'Grootfall' Teases An Ominous Fate For The Guardians' Most Beloved Member
At New York Comic-Con 2022, Marvel announced the debut of a new Guardians of the Galaxy series in April 2023. The first tease for the upcoming comic book was quite ominous, showing the fractured symbol of the team, followed by the question: "How do you rebuild a family?". The Guardians have been together since a ragtag group of unlikely heroes rallied together to save the galaxy in 2008's Annihilation, by Dan Abnett and Andy Lanning. Since then, the roster changed a few times, but the core characters remained the same, forming the heart of this dysfunctional family: Star-Lord, Gamora, Drax, Rocket Racoon, and Groot, all made popular by the MCU's adaptation of the team
It's surprising, then, that the Guardians come back as fractured and in the middle of a crisis. Perhaps, their responsibilities as official protectors of the cosmos have broken the dynamic that held together the group until now. The Guardians have always been a band of misfits, and being the arm of authority does not suit them. Maybe, Peter Quill's newly-discovered godlike powers are the reason behind this crisis. Regarding Groot, readers should remember that, back in All-New Guardians of the Galaxy #9, by Gerry Duggan and Mike Hawthorne, the Elder of the Universe known as the Gardener said that Groot was originally created with a destructive purpose, but his time with the Guardians changed him and deviated him from this course. Perhaps "Grootfall" will restore Groot's original, dark personality, but this is only speculation for now.
After the uplifting conclusion of Guardians of the Galaxy in 2021, fans are certainly wondering what happened to the team, which has been conspicuously absent from Marvel storylines. Groot is perhaps the most beloved character in the franchise, so it would certainly be a bold move from Marvel to have him die in the upcoming series, but fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy will have to wait until December 6 to learn more.