Disney’s plans for their new streaming service have come into focus over the past several weeks and they are impressive. The entertainment giant is prepared to spend, and spend big, to become the premiere streaming service. In addition to several big budget films (Lady and the Tramp and High School Musical among them), Disney+ is going to feature multiple Star Wars and Marvel Studios limited series. These Kevin Feige-led series are designed to give fans more time with favorite characters who have never headlined their own films. Several of these series have already been revealed to be at different stages of development. Bob Iger recently confirmed we’d see Tom Hiddleston return as Loki. Malcolm Spellman has already been at work writing a Winter Soldier and The Falcon series that would reunite Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, whose chemistry made for some great comic relief in Captain America: Civil War. Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany are expected to return for a Scarlet Witch and The Vision series. These series are certainly just the tip of the iceberg for the Feige, whose ambition knows no bounds, and any number of series beyond these could certainly be in development already.
On that note, we thought it would be prudent to share an interesting rumor with you. For those of you who will be reporting on this info, we would like to be very clear up front: this is a rumor that we were neither able to confirm with a Disney rep nor with other sources. That puts this in a different category than much of our other recent work, such as reporting on Marvel Studios 2020 film slate, the production information on Black Widow and The Eternals and the character breakdowns for those films. Those things were not rumored. They were confirmed by multiple sources. This one, however, is simply a fun rumor that we wanted to share. It’s been told to us that among the series being pitched to Feige is one that might mean we won’t have to wait until 2022 to see more Guardians of the Galaxy action. We’ve been told that a Rocket and Groot series may be in the works!
While we have been unable to confirm this rumor, it is one that seems very plausible. Since being introduced to general audiences in 2014, Rocket and Groot have become household names and among Marvel Studios most beloved and recognizable characters. While it would seem like the budget for such a series would be high given the VFX involved, it seems that Disney isn’t worried about cost at this point. While actors Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel (who at one point opined that a Rocket and Groot movie would happen post Infinity War), who have voiced the pair in all their appearances so far, did sign a letter in support of James Gunn, they certainly did not dig in like Dave Bautista and could very well be open to returning for more than their contractual obligations. Finally, we know that Rocket and Groot have a history together that predates the original film, so this series could take place at a time that would not interfere with whatever plans the studio has for the pair in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
So is a certainty that we’ll see Rocket and Groot on Disney+ sometime in 2019, 2020 or even 2021? Absolutely not, but it does make an awful lot of sense as a potential series for the new platform. Time will tell if there is more substance to this or if it’s just another rumor making the rounds. For now, I won’t be holding my breath on seeing Sweet Rabbit and Tree but will instead be looking forward to seeing Hiddleston back as Loki!