The logo for Disney's upcoming animated show I Am Groot teases the return of the adorable sentient tree, Baby Groot. Groot made his first MCU appearance in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, where he joined his bounty hunting partner Rocket Raccoon as part of Starlord's ragtag group of space heroes. Despite meeting his demise at the end of Guardians, Groot was later grown back to life, paving the way for the mischievous and painfully cute Baby Groot to, quite literally, develop over the closing movies of the Infinity Saga.
The success of the Guardians franchise was never a guarantee for Marvel, with the unlikely heroes not exactly being household names before their first outing. Despite the risks involved, Marvel fully backed the franchise, casting an ensemble cast of A-Listers to achieve their Guardians vision, including the likes of Chris Pratt and Zoe Saldaña as leads. Marvel's risk paid off, with both Guardians of the Galaxy films proving both financially and critically successful thanks in part to James Gunn's fantastic direction and hilarious writing. Also key to the success of the Guardians movies was the relationship between Groot and his partner Rocket, a bond recently celebrated by Disney, as they unveiled a beautiful bronze statue of the Guardians duo.
Announced as part of the massive Disney+ Day reveals, Marvel unveiled the new logo for I Am Groot shows Baby Groot in all his lovable, miniature glory. While Disney didn't reveal any new information on the series' plot, they reiterated that the shorts would follow "Baby Groot’s glory days growing up, and getting into trouble, among the stars." Disney also confirmed that the show would be directed by the series' executive producer, Kirsten Lepor.
The series, thankfully, looks in safe hands with Lepor and co., especially as the first look at an animated Groot is incredibly detailed and true to his live-action (albeit CGI) counterpart. Out of all the Guardians crew, Groot is perhaps best-suited for a solo spin-off series, especially in the short-form model that Disney is going for, something that has worked well for other Disney entities in the past. While most of these shows have catered for younger viewers, Star Wars: Visions, a series of anime-themed Star Wars shorts, has shown that the company's franchises that cater to broader-ranging audiences can also work in shorter episodic form. Baby Groot's adorable, inquisitive nature will complement an animated show perfectly, and watching him terrorize the rest of the Guardians crew with his playful antics sounds like the best way to honor the character's popular MCU roots.
While the future of Guardians is cemented in a third film, Gunn will continue taking risks with the franchise by also releasing a live-action Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special that will pave the way for the upcoming Guardians of the Galaxy 3. Even if the festive special doesn't work out for Gunn, I Am Groot's success is almost a given, thanks to the characters undying popularity and undeniable charm. Regardless of its success, I Am Groot will play a small part in Marvel's Disney+ takeover, joining the likes of recently announced Marvel Zombies, Agatha: House Of Harkness and a second Loki season, giving fans more content than ever to look forward to.
Source: Marvel