F9 Star Vin Diesel Teases Groot’s “Return To Planet X” in Guardians of the Galaxy Special

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is not the next place fans will see Groot in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The beloved sentient tree will be appearing in Thor: Love and Thunder, as first revealed by ComicBook.com in early 2020. However, Groot will also be making an appearance in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and the I Am Groot special on Disney+. While some might think those are going to be fun, one-off stories which might not have major implications for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Groot voice Vin Diesel offered up a tease while talking to ComicBook.com which seems to imply a significant expansion of the MCU’s world through Groot and his homeworld of Planet X appearing in one of these titles.

Vin Diesel is gearing up for the release of F9, the franchise he is best known for where he has played Dominic Toretto since 2001. With the film arriving exclusively in theaters on June 25, the actor spoke with ComicBook.com. However, we at ComicBook.com are also gearing up to talk with the Marvel family about the upcoming release of Black Widow, which gave Vin Diesel an idea: “If you’re talking to [Marvel Studios boss Kevin] Feige on Saturday, you can ask him about the Groot story that he’s excited about; the return to Planet X.”

See Vin Diesel talk about this exciting new expansion to Groot’s story in the video below! It is tweeted by the Phase Zero account, the official Twitter for ComicBook.com’s MCU podcast.

Planet X, in Marvel lore, is Groot’s home planet and where the rest of his Flora colossi species reside. It was once referred to as Taluhnia in a trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy but now seems to be exclusively referred to as Planet X. The Marvel Cinematic Universe has never visited Groot’s homeworld but Marvel Comics have shown the world’s lore, which is one the Groot readers are familiar with had trouble fitting into — so he left.

“The Groot character… There’s a few characters like Iron Giant and Groot that I knew would be gifts for my kids in a way but the irony is the Groot character is a gift from my kids because I played that character, in part, because when Marvel sent over a book of Marvel characters, my three-year-old son at the time pointed at the picture of the tree,” Vin Diesel says. “I never would have thought that that would be a character I would play. I had nightmares of playing the tree at the school play when I was 10 years old. Playing Groot is a wonderful thing. Taika is a friend of mine and he’s such a talented director, as is James Gunn. Just talented directors, I take my hat off to them.”

Are you excited to see Groot’s homeworld in the Groot special on Disney+? Share your thoughts in the comment section or send them my way on Instagram! I Am Groot does not yet have a premiere date. F9 hits theaters on June 25.