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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is in an interesting place right now. We're currently in between phases, with the delayed release of Black Widow meaning that fans will have to wait even longer to return to the beloved shared universe. But there are some highly anticipated blockbusters coming in the next few years, chief among them being James Gunn's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Vin Diesel recently teased the upcoming arrival of "Alpha Groot" in the threequel, and now Gunn has responded to those comments.
Groot has a beloved character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, one who is constantly transforming into different forms. After sacrificing himself in the first Guardians movie, fans have delighted in seeing how he grew up from a seedling. Vin Diesel recently teased his appearance in the upcoming threequel, cryptically teasing the introduction of Alpha Groot. When James Gunn was asked about this on social media he responded saying:
The plot thickens. It looks like the Guardians of the Galaxy visionary doesn't have the slightest idea as to what Vin Diesel was referencing regarding Groot's next stage of evolution. But given the fact that Vol. 3 will end the Guardians franchise as we know it, smart money says this will be the ultimate form of the tree alien.
James Gunn responded to Vin Diesel's viral comments on his personal Twitter page. While the social media outlet briefly cost him his job directing Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, he's still using it to directly communicate with fans. The third Guardians movie was originally set to kick off Phase Four, before Gunn's firing and gig directing The Suicide Squad pushed it back a number of years. As such, he's going to be fielding questions from fans about the threequel for the foreseeable future.
From his response, it's clear that the term Alpha Groot was one invented by Vin diesel himself, and not James Gunn. There's no telling what conversations the two have had, but it's clear that Vin Diesel is excited to voice his Marvel superhero in yet another blockbuster. But don't expect the words "Alpha Groot" to be uttered throughout the upcoming blockbuster's runtime.
Marvel fans can re-watch Groot's tenure in the MCU on Disney+. You can use this link for a free 7-day trial to the streaming service.
James Gunn was pressed further on the subject on Twitter, where the filmmaker clarified that Vin Diesel had not been given a copy of the script for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
While addressing Vin Diesel's comments, James Gunn did clarify something about Groot. He's an entirely different being now than the one who appeared in the original Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Fans watched him as Baby Groot in Guardians 2 and an angsty teen version in Avengers: Infinity War. So what will he be like when the upcoming Guardians threequel finally arrives?
Unfortunately, we're going to be asking these questions for a long time before any answers come. It's unclear when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will kick up production, especially as film sets have halted production over concern for the COVID-19 pandemic. We'll just have to hope that the movie can go on as planned, especially since it's already been so delayed.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is is expected to arrive in theaters sometime in 2021, although that might be subject to change. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
