I said in my xXx: Return of Xander Cage review that Vin Diesel is “extremely good at self-promotion” and here is an example of what I am talking about. While promoting Xander Cage, Diesel did an interview with MTV in which he talks up a potential Groot spin-off with Marvel. “It’s something James Gunn has talked about,” Diesel says, “and something I know he would love to do.” Is it, though? Is it, REALLY? Or is it just something he said, to shoot the sh*t during a recording session? Everyone who plays a superhero wants their own movie, but the fact is, not every character needs or even deserves their own movie. And the list of characters that actually can carry a solo movie is a lot shorter than actors want to admit.

Gambit, for instance, can’t carry his own movie, which is why Channing Tatum is finding it so hard to get that project off the ground. And despite two attempts and being very popular, the Hulk has yet to work as a cinematic stand-alone. You know who else doesn’t have his own franchise? Chewbacca. What do Hulk, Chewbacca, and Groot have in common? They’re all monsters who barely speak. No matter how cool they are in a fight, that does not make for a compelling protagonist. That’s why Marvel chose to cannibalize one of Hulk’s most popular comic book stories, Planet Hulk, for Thor: Ragnarok. The amount of exposition and inner monologue it takes to make a character like Hulk, or Groot, work on the page just does not translate to film.

But Vin Diesel is a relentless self-promoter. He’ll talk up a Groot spin-off and get everyone excited for a terrible idea, but in Marvel he’s probably met his match. They don’t bow to peer pressure and they’ve got their movies planned until like 2097. I highly doubt a Groot movie is on the list. (Besides, they’re about to add Captain Marvel, a stand-alone character who co-exists in the cosmic storyline with the Guardians. There’s your cosmic spin-off.) But I can see the potential for a Rocket Raccoon movie, somewhere down the line. Rocket’s like Deadpool: A self-perpetuating drama machine with a tragic backstory, which is the making of a good protagonist. So maybe Vin Diesel can play Groot in a spin-off after all—as Rocket’s side-kick.

Share this post