He’s a tree. He only says three words. Honestly, on paper, the I Am Groot show sounds like a corporate fever dream designed solely to sell plushies at Disneyland. You’d be forgiven for thinking these three-to-four-minute shorts are just "filler" while we wait for the next massive Avengers crossover or a high-stakes Fantastic Four debut. But if you actually sit down and watch what Kirsten Lepore and the team at Marvel Studios put together, you realize something pretty quickly. It’s weird. Like, really weird. And that’s exactly why it works.
The series follows Baby Groot—specifically the version of the character between the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the mid-credits scenes where he hits puberty—as he gets into various scrapes across the cosmos. It’s essentially a silent comedy. Think Looney Tunes meets Wall-E, but with more intergalactic property damage and a surprising amount of casual violence for a Disney+ "all ages" project.
Is the I Am Groot show actually canon to the MCU?
This is the question that keeps Marvel nerds up at night. There was a weird moment of friction between the creators and the higher-ups. James Gunn, the architect of the Guardians' cinematic journey, famously suggested these shorts aren't necessarily part of his specific Guardians' timeline. He viewed them as their own little thing. However, Brad Winderbaum, Marvel’s Head of Streaming, has been pretty firm that they take place in the gaps of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) timeline.
Does it matter? Not really. But for the completionists out there, the I Am Groot show fits neatly after the battle with Ego. It shows us a side of the Guardians' world we never see: the downtime. While Star-Lord is probably off brooding about his father or listening to Zune tracks, Groot is busy discovering a civilization of microscopic blue aliens under a rock.
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The animation style is stunningly photo-realistic. It’s a massive departure from the stylized look of What If...? or X-Men '97. The bark texture, the way light hits the dust motes in the Eclector's hallways, the fluid movement of Groot’s vine-like limbs—it’s top-tier technical work. Seeing this level of visual fidelity applied to a story about a tree taking a bath in some mud or accidentally creating a high-fashion outfit out of leaves is a hilarious use of a massive budget.
Why the short format is a stroke of genius
Most Marvel shows suffer from "the sag." You know the one. Episodes four and five of a six-episode series where everyone just talks in dark rooms to save money for the finale. The I Am Groot show doesn't have that problem because it doesn't have time to breathe. Each episode is a concentrated burst of personality.
Take the episode "Groot’s Pursuit." It’s basically a miniature horror movie. Groot hears a noise in the ship, finds a strange glowing liquid, and ends up in a dance-off with a shapeshifting alien mimic. It’s lean. It’s funny. It tells a complete narrative arc in less time than it takes to boil an egg.
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Vin Diesel returns to provide the voice, and it’s genuinely impressive how much emotion he can pack into the same three words. In the second season, which dropped in late 2023, the stakes get slightly "higher" (relatively speaking) as Groot explores snowy planets and ancient temples. We even get a cameo from Jeffrey Wright as The Watcher, which further ties the series into the broader Multiverse lore, even if he’s just narrating Groot’s chaotic antics like a disappointed cosmic babysitter.
The episodes that actually stand out
- Groot’s First Steps: It’s basically a metaphor for growing up. Groot is stuck in a pot, gets replaced by a bonsai tree, and has to learn to walk to reclaim his territory. It’s physical comedy at its best.
- The Little Guy: This is the one where Groot finds the tiny aliens. It’s a great look at his character—he’s curious and kind, but also incredibly clumsy and accidentally terrifying to anything smaller than him.
- Groot’s Snow Day: Season 2 kicked off with this wintry short. He builds a snowman that ends up being a lethal robot. You know, typical toddler stuff.
- Groot’s Bionic Baby: This is arguably the peak of the show’s "weirdness" factor. He finds a robot baby and tries to be a parent, leading to some genuinely dark visual gags.
What most people get wrong about the series
People assume because it's "Junior" content, it's skip-able. But the I Am Groot show captures the heart of the Guardians franchise better than some of the live-action spin-offs. It understands that these characters are fundamentally outcasts and oddballs. Groot isn't a hero here; he's a chaotic neutral force of nature. He’s selfish, he’s impatient, and he’s occasionally a bit of a jerk.
That’s what makes him human.
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If you’re looking for clues about Avengers: Secret Wars, you won't find them here. There are no post-credits scenes teasing Dr. Doom. There are no cameos from Captain Marvel. It is purely a character study. By stripping away the universe-ending stakes, the creators let us actually spend time with the character's personality. We see his creativity. We see his temper. We see his loneliness.
Practical ways to enjoy the show today
If you haven't watched it yet, don't try to "binge" it like a normal show. It’s too manic for that. These are snacks, not a meal.
- Watch with kids (or don't): It’s the perfect "one more thing before bed" show for parents, but honestly, the slapstick is sophisticated enough for adults who grew up on Chuck Jones cartoons.
- Pay attention to the background: The amount of Marvel Easter eggs hidden in the ship’s clutter is insane. You’ll see bits of Drax’s gear, Gamora’s belongings, and nods to the wider galaxy.
- Check out the Season 2 finale: "Groot and the Great Prophecy" is the closest the show gets to an "epic" story, featuring a temple run that feels very Indiana Jones but with a much dumber protagonist.
The I Am Groot show is a reminder that the MCU doesn't always have to be about saving the world. Sometimes, it’s just about a tiny tree person trying to find a decent snack or fixing a broken toy. In an era of "superhero fatigue," these shorts are the perfect palate cleanser. They are short, sweet, and remind us why we liked this talking tree in the first place.
Go back and watch the "Magnum Opus" episode from Season 1. It features Rocket Raccoon (voiced by Bradley Cooper) and shows Groot trying to paint a picture of the Guardians. It’s messy, it’s destructive, and the ending is surprisingly sweet. It encapsulates the whole series: chaos fueled by a very small, very wooden heart.
Next Steps for Fans
- Dive into the shorts: Total runtime for both seasons combined is under an hour. You can knock the whole thing out during a lunch break.
- Look for the "Easter Egg" featurettes: Disney+ often hides "Making Of" clips in the "Extras" tab that show how they captured Vin Diesel’s performance.
- Re-watch Guardians Vol. 2: Seeing these shorts gives you a much better appreciation for Groot's behavior in the background of the main films.