Marvel Rushes New MCU Series, Total Runtime Is Reportedly 20 Minutes

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Guardians of the Galaxy crew

Credit: Marvel Studios

I Am Groot is shockingly shorter than any previous MCU series.

baby groot waving
Credit: Disney

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While the Guardians spinoff wasn’t advertised as a huge addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, fans expected to see more of Groot in his own series. Marvel revealed that their next animation project would be a series of shorts focused on Baby Groot during Disney’s Investor Day 2020. Two years later, fans get barely 20 minutes of animation.

Thankfully, fans will see more of Groot this year in Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and again in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 3 (2023). Based on what the cast said, Guardians 3 might be the last time fans see Groot in the MCU.

left, baby groot, right, drax
Credit: Marvel Studios

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Fans knew that the new series would be short, but to have the whole project’s runtime be around 20 minutes was a bit of a shock. Fans knew about this project for a few years, and unlike Marvel’s What If…?, Marvel decided to put fewer resources into the animation series.

I Am Groot should’ve been longer, but sources have indicated that August 10th won’t be as exciting as fans originally thought. If Groot has a lot of tiny shorts, then the series won’t have many stories to tell other than some cute, funny moments.

baby groot with a bomb
Credit: Marvel Studios

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For any fan wondering if they have to watch the series, it’s a safe bet that you could skip it since it won’t impact anyone’s knowledge of the character before seeing the Holiday Special or Guardians 3.

The news was shared earlier today on Twitter:

All #IAmGroot shorts have a combined length of about 20 minutes.

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Hopefully, other series will have a higher runtime, but fans might be expecting too much. So far, Marvel’s animation has been hit or miss, with What If only providing a handful of interesting stories, so fans are unsure what to expect.

More on I Am Groot

Baby Groot frowning
Credit: Marvel Studios

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Here’s an official description of the new animated series:

There’s no guarding the galaxy from this mischievous toddler! Get ready as Baby Groot takes center stage in his very own collection of shorts, exploring his glory days growing up—and getting into trouble—among the stars.

Baby Groot jumping up
Credit: Marvel Studios

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Phase Four might be coming to a close, but MCU fans have a lot to look forward to with Phase Five and Phase Six. On Disney+, you can watch Moon Knight, Ms. Marvel, and She-Hulk on August 17. For movies, Doctor Strange In the Multiverse of Madness is now on Disney+ with  Thor: Love and Thunder in theaters, and of course, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is released on November 11.

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