I Am Groot: James Gunn Says New Shorts Won't Be Part of Guardians of the Galaxy Saga

By Adam Barnhardt

It doesn't look like I Am Groot will be required viewing for fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. Sunday, Marvel Studios unveiled the poster and release date for the upcoming animated series and fans were quick to bombard those in the know with questions in regards to the show's continuity. As it turns out, it looks like the show will stand on its lonesome as it's a series of animated shorts and not traditional animated entertainment.

"They are animated shorts so not necessarily part of the Guardians saga," Guardians helmer and I Am Groot producer James Gunn confirmed on Twitter Sunday afternoon. In a follow up tweet, Gunn added that the shorts are "canon to themselves, I'd think."

I Am Groot is just the latest in animated efforts from Marvel Studios, joining What If...? as the only two cartoon efforts from the outfit to date. Soon, they'll be joined by Marvel Zombies, Spider-Man: Freshman Year, and X-Men '97.

"I think if I told you about our animated plans, it would blow your mind," Marvel Studios Animation head Brad Winderbaum previously told ComicBook.com.

"I mean, you're completely unbounded from any sort of rules, which is both the most exciting and the most daunting thing about it, because then you have to create your own rules," he continued. "But I mean, it really is, in many ways, the purest interpretation of the imagination of the people behind it. There's an element of chaos in all things. There's an element of chaos in animation. Certainly a major factor in live action. Filmmaking is chaos. And how things don't go as planned and how you end up ultimately with a whole different set of tools than you thought you had going in. In an animation, kind of get to work with this infinite canvas where anything you want can be achieved. And if you can conceive it, you can do it. If you can dream it, you can do it."The first two Guardians of the Galaxy movies are now streaming on Disney+ while I Am Groot hits the platform on August 10th. Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is due to hit theaters May 5, 2023. The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special has yet to receive a release date.

What members of the Guardians would you like to see spin-off shows of? Let us know your thoughts either in the comments section or by hitting our writer @AdamBarnhardt up on Twitter to chat all things MCU!

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