James Gunn Wants A 'Rocket And Groot' Spin-Off, Claims Vin Diesel

Guardians of the Galaxy was a pretty obscure comic before Marvel Studios introduced us to its heroes on the big screen, so for many of us, the first time we saw Rocket Raccoon and his tree-like friend Groot was in the movie as a pair of intergalactic bounty hunters. How did these versions of the characters meet? What kind of bounties did they score together before hooking up with Quill, Gamora, and Drax?

These questions – and plenty more – could be answered in a spin-off film, and Vin Diesel, who provides the voice of Groot, is hyping one yet again. But does that mean it'll actually happen? Read more about a potential Rocket and Groot spin-off below.

In an interview with USA Today, the Fast & Furious star hyped a possible spin-off movie featuring his vocabulistically limited character and the sarcastic yet damaged Rocket. (He also talked about how Groot hasn't reached his final form yet, which we discussed earlier today.)

"[Writer/director] James Gunn has always wanted a Rocket and Groot movie. And I know that Disney is very much into being successful. And the most successful poster in Disney's future is the poster that has 'Groot vs. Hulk.' ... (The world) cannot wait to see it."

When asked about Diesel's comments, Gunn laughed.

"Vin has a lot of ideas. I don't know where he comes up with these things! I love Vin."

Indeed, Vin Diesel does have a lot of ideas. This is the guy who said that 2015's Furious 7 "will probably win Best Picture at the Oscars," and hinted that he believes The Fate of the Furious will also be a serious Oscar contender. And the thing is, while these comments might sound bonkers to us, you can tell that Diesel legitimately believes them.

This isn't even the first time he's teased a Rocket and Groot spin-off. Back in December, he was singing the same song. But considering how Marvel Studios seems to be leaning into the cosmic side of the MCU and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will set up the next decade of Marvel films, Diesel's ravings suddenly don't seem quite as worthy of an eye-roll response. If there is a Rocket and Groot spin-off, the filmmakers could loosely base it on a storyline from the comic series that follows the two of them, or maybe even take some inspiration from their web series.

Knowing Marvel, if a spin-off movie happens, Rocket and Groot definitely wouldn't be the only MCU characters in it. Chris Pratt recently told me that he wants to renew his contract with the studio, so I could see Star-Lord popping up in a cameo.

This is all just speculation right now, but what do you think? Do you want to see a Rocket and Groot spin-off, or are those characters better used in a supporting capacity? Would a spin-off run the risk of dampening their appeal?