From watching Groot (Vin Diesel) do an intense dance-off to drawing the perfect family picture for Rocket Raccoon & the Guardians, I Am Groot episodes 1 to 5 have struck a chord among MCU fans of all ages. The five animation shorts released on Disney Plus shows moments from Groot’s early infant adventures that took place after the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and between the first end credits scene of the sequel.
I Am Groot episode 1 begins with a funny opening sequence which literally shows the little Tree fast-forwarding the Marvel Studios intro. The 4 minute short takes place during Baby Groot’s formative years as he grows out of his pot and begins to sprout baby leaves. Though his emergence gets interrupted when the robot assistants decide to cast him off to the side and replace him with an artificial Bonsai tree. A rivalry grows as the baby tree learns to take his f first steps but eventually befriends the fake tree.
Episode 2 “The Little Guy” has the little Guardians of the Galaxy make friends with a miniature civilization. But their friendship is short-lived after the tree toddler “hero” ends up accidentally stamping them. Episode 3 has Groot investigating a strange eerie sound in the Quadrant. His journey eventually leads to a dance-off with a slimy creature impersonating him. The wholesome dance ends with Groot ejecting the creature out of the Quadrant.
Episode 4 is just watching the toddler draw the perfect bath on an alien planet’s forest. And surprise, a certain mixture of mud helps Groot sprout bushy leaves all over his body. But it gets interrupted by a colorful unearthly creature that looks like a Squirrel. Ant to make matters worse, the fountain of mud is all dried up though knowing Groot, he finds a way – like pulling out the squirrel-esque creature’s fur to wear as a scarf.
Marvel pls have this framed in guardians of the galaxy vol 3 🙌🏽🙏🏽#IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/0EamtSFbCs
— 𝙶𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎✨✖️✖️🖤//THE SANDMAN ERA⏳ (@giselleb1234) August 10, 2022
not groot skipping the marvel intro 😭😆 #IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/wdbp6TQatC
— kat ᗢ harkNESs (@scarlet_witchxx) August 10, 2022
that's my SON #IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/53FRvUXYTb
— marlin 🔪 (@gamorasinclairr) August 10, 2022
FAMILY TREE #IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/2USqEQV2En
— zoe (@biIights) August 10, 2022
same energy #IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/ycfCLK0exl
— crocino (@crocinoo) August 10, 2022
Groot used the same backpack that Peter/Starlord had oml😭🥹#IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/FxJeoxGgNZ
— 𝙶𝚒𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚕𝚎✨✖️✖️🖤//THE SANDMAN ERA⏳ (@giselleb1234) August 10, 2022
#IAmGroot
their relationship is everything pic.twitter.com/dEhE0zbxis— francis (@Francis32748807) August 10, 2022
new reaction meme just dropped #iamgroot pic.twitter.com/lUJCBbPLBq
— day (@SERKARISM) August 10, 2022
We need to see this framed on the refrigerator in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 #IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/4EngxG0UCt
— AJ Fairnot ➡️ “You were the Chosen One!” (@KNerd89) August 10, 2022
“I AM GROOT” takes place after GOTG VOL2 in the timeline order except for Groot’s first steps obviously #IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/XIK4fseLk3
— Mrmarvelitis (@mrmarvelitis) August 10, 2022
#IAmGroot
half of the 'I am Groot' shorts are credits pic.twitter.com/M2uftSOi8M— francis (@Francis32748807) August 10, 2022
me everytime groot says "I Am Groot" #IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/IabwAzWD4q
— jarvis ᱬ (@jrvsscarlet) August 10, 2022
I'm not crying 😭🖐️ #IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/wlCBU6NxkV
— Mary Grace ⚡ (@DipasupiMary) August 10, 2022
this is the best thing marvel has ever created #iamgroot pic.twitter.com/6cSfpDo1DM
— keedy ♡̷̷ the boys era (@alltoobernthal) August 10, 2022
when i've been so deprived of content that seeing a drawing of him and his boot made me so happy 😭 #IAmGroot pic.twitter.com/WyEeNFfpFD
— Josh 🌨||🫙's🫀 (@J0SHC0RE) August 10, 2022
Episode 5 is the cherry on top to conclude I Am Groot animation shorts with a delightful cameo from Rocket Raccoon, Drax’s soap and possibly Star-lord in the shower (but there’s still an easter egg of Peter Quill’s school bag and his jet boot). The toddler sets out to paint a family portrait but requires a few things to help him complete his task. The messy artistic process comes close to blowing up the ship but fortunately, Rocket Raccoon arrives in the nick of time.
Some fans are already hoping for the family portrait to appear in the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. However, director James Gunn says the shorts are not canonically to his MCU films. But producer Brad Winderbaum’s comments suggesting the shorts are events from post GOTG Vol. 2 has Gunn puzzled.
“Some folks at Marvel seem to think it’s canonically MCU. I find that hard to see myself,” the director said during an Instagram Q&A. It remains to be seen if Marvel Studios or Gunn could have a change of mind in including or excluding the shorts from Marvel Cinematic Universe timeline.
