Vin Diesel has hinted at a ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Groot spin-off film. This announcement comes as Marvel continues to expand its lineup with character-focused projects.
The 57-year-old actor had played the talking tree in the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s (MCU) ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ trilogy as well as ‘Avengers: Infinity War’, ‘Avengers Endgame’ and ‘Thor: Love and Thunder’, and has now teased he could be reprising the role for a solo movie. Groot has become one of the most merchandised characters in the MCU, with fans embracing the lovable character worldwide.
“Disney wants their Planet X! Which some say is Marvel’s most anticipated movie, haha. The film where Groot returns to his home planet,” the ‘Fast and Furious’ star wrote on Instagram. Planet X, in Marvel comics, is the homeworld of the Flora Colossus species to which Groot belongs.
Diesel had starred in the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ trilogy – which was directed by James Gunn – with Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Bradley Cooper, Pom Klementieff and Dave Bautista. The franchise has been one of Marvel’s most successful cosmic adventures.
While he seems interested in playing his ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ character again, Diesel’s co-star Bautista – who played Drax the Destroyer in the three films – insisted he was done with his hero. This contrast highlights the different career trajectories for actors within the MCU.
“Drax is completely closed to me. Unless James Gunn called me and asked me if I would do something as Drax again, I just wouldn’t be interested,” he told ComicBook.com. Bautista has appeared as Drax in multiple MCU projects since his debut.
The former WWE superstar added Gunn’s involvement in the MCU was likely over since he had become co-CEO of rival studio DC with Peter Safran. This corporate shift represents one of the biggest changes in superhero entertainment leadership in recent years.
“If James called me, which obviously is not gonna happen. He’s doing okay, he’s gone a different route [with DC],” Bautista continued. Gunn is currently overseeing the development of multiple high-profile DC properties.
Even so, Bautista revealed he was desperate to play another role in either the MCU or the DC Universe (DCU) and had told Gunn and ‘Avengers: Endgame’ directors Joe and Anthony Russo about his interest in portraying a new character. The Russo brothers have directed several of Marvel‘s biggest blockbusters.
“But I do wanna be in that world. I’m a fan of that world. I’m a fan of comic books and that whole universe. Marvel, DC, I just wanna be in it. I made that known to James, I made that known to the Russo Brothers,” he explained. Comic book adaptations continue to dominate the entertainment industry across both streaming and theatrical releases.
“Personally, I talked to them, all of them, and told them, ‘Don’t count me out. If there’s a character that I’d be right for and that you want me for, man, I’d be totally open-minded to it’. It’s just the Drax character ran its course.” Character evolution and storyline completion are common reasons for actor departures in long-running franchises.
Last year, the ‘Dune’ star suggested he would like to portray a villain in a superhero film. Villain roles often provide actors with more dramatic range and critical recognition in superhero films.
“I just would like the opportunity to do a bigger role, a different role. Maybe a deeper role. I’d love to have the opportunity to play, like, an ominous villain in the superhero universe … I’m not done with it. But my journey with Drax is over,” he told Gizmodo. Character transitions are becoming increasingly common for actors in superhero franchises.
Bautista admitted he felt a sense of “relief” that he would no longer have to play Drax following 2023’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3‘ as he felt he gave a “silly” performance as the character. The final Guardians film concluded the team’s journey in the MCU.
“It wasn’t all pleasant. It was hard playing that role. The makeup process was beating me down. And I just don’t know if I want Drax to be my legacy – it’s a silly performance, and I want to do more dramatic stuff,” he said, speaking to GQ magazine in 2023. Prosthetic makeup for characters like Drax requires extensive preparation before filming each day.
