Credit: Marvel StudiosUpon the first drop of Marvel Studios’ latest venture, it is revealed that there is a new Groot actor on the scene.
The future of the Guardians of the Galaxy was uncertain following the final movie in James Gunn’s trilogy this past May. Long touted as the emotional conclusion to this specific group of Guardians, fans went into the third film knowing that it would be the end for many of the beloved members.
However, as the two post-credits scenes of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 (2023) revealed, both Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) and Groot (Vin Diesel) were teased to be continuing their adventures, and as for Chris Pratt’s Peter Quill/Star-Lord, the former leader was confirmed to be returning sometime further down the line in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
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Right now, though, and Kevin Feige’s MCU continues with the arrival of the second season of surprise hit, What If…? The sophomore outing for the Marvel animated series once more asks what would happen if some of the MCU’s most key and pivotal moments had happened differently. The first season explored universes where Hayley Atwell’s Peggy Carter became Captain Carter, Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) lost his heart instead of his hands, and the Avengers were replaced by the Guardians of the Multiverse.
Drax Actor Replaces Vin Diesel as Groot
With a unique release schedule — the first episode debuted on December 22, with the following eight episodes released daily on Disney+ — and anthology-style episodes, What If…? Season 2 welcomes fans back to the Multiverse surveyed by Jeffrey Wright’s Uatu, The Watcher.
The first episode, “What if… Nebula had joined the Nova Corps? brought Karen Gillan’s villain-turned-hero back into the MCU and also featured a number of familiar faces. From Yondu Udonta to Yon-Rogg, Korg to Howard the Duck, the premiere played with a reality where Ronan rids the universe of Thanos long before the future events of Avengers: Infinity War (2018).
While many of the actors returned to voice their animated counterparts, Jude Law as Yon-Rogg, Michael Rooker as Udonta, and Taika Waititi as Korg, for example, the likes of Vin Diesel did not. No, playing Groot here in What If…? was Fred Tatasciore, as confirmed by the credits. The tenured voice actor, known for his work across many different brands, including Marvel and DC, also voiced Drax the Destroyer in the first season of What If…?
For the most part, What If…? features the actors that star in live-action movies and TV shows, but, as the first season of the animated series revealed, many were also recast. From Captain Marvel to Spider-Man, Black Widow to Steve Rogers, multiple famous faces were not on hand to bring their characters to life on the small screen for reasons unknown. Well, apart from Dave Bautista, who says he was not asked to voice Drax the Destroyer in the first season.
Related: Chris Pratt Replaced as Peter Quill in MCU, More Details Released
What If…? Season 2 airs daily episodes from December 22 through December 30. The series is created by A.C. Bradley, who serves as head writer, with Bryan Andrews leading the directing team.
The rest of the episodes that reframe classic Marvel cinematic moments are called “What If… Peter Quill Attacked Earth’s Mightiest Heroes?” “What If… Happy Hogan Saved Christmas?” “What If… Iron Man Crashed Into the Grandmaster?” “What If… Captain Carter Fought the Hydra Stomper?” “What If… Kahhori Reshaped the World?” “What If… Hela Found the Ten Rings?” “What If… the Avengers Assembled in 1602?” and “What If… Strange Supreme Intervened?”
Are you tuning in to watch What If…? Season 2? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!