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Phase 5 Changes Again With Surprise MCU Show Return Before Loki Season 2-TGN

Summary

  • Marvel Studios faces production delays due to labor strikes, but already finished projects like Loki and I Am Groot are ready for release.

  • Marvel surprises fans with the trailer for I Am Groot season 2, set to debut on September 6, 2023, a month before Loki season 2.

  • I Am Groot, along with Loki and Marvel Studios’ What If…?, is one of only three MCU shows confirmed to have a second season, due to its kid-friendly and easily continued nature.

Ahead of Loki season 2’s release date, Marvel Studios makes another change to Phase 5. Due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes that fight for writers’ and actors’ fair pay among others, production for several upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe projects are currently halted. Luckily for them, Marvel Studios has a string of shows and movies that are already finished, only waiting for release. That includes Tom Hiddleston’s return as the God of Mischief in Loki season 2. Before his upcoming comeback, however, another MCU hero is set to make his re-emergence, with Marvel Studios quietly altering Phase 5’s schedule yet again.

Marvel Entertainment surprisingly releases the trailer for I Am Groot season 2, offering fans a sneak peek at what’s next for the beloved Guardians of the Galaxy hero. Watch the video below:

Alongside the new footage is the confirmation that the show is set to debut on September 6, 2023. This means that it will arrive a whole month before Loki season 2 debuts in October.

Why I Am Groot Is One Of Only 3 MCU Shows With A Second Season

The confirmation that Marvel Studios Disney+ animated shorts’ season 2 release is the latest of a string of changes in the MCU Phase 5. As a whole, the Multiverse has had its fair share of schedule changes due to several factors, including the coronavirus pandemic that significantly pushed back the beginning of MCU’s storytelling post-Infinity Saga. Since then, however, production challenges have also become factors in Kevin Feige’s decision to either change the order of the release of their projects or push back a big chunk of its slate.

Since Phase 4 started with WandaVision, Disney+ has been an integral platform for Marvel Studios’ storytelling. Its latest release, Secret Invasion marks the 10th small-screen offering from the franchise. However, only three shows are only confirmed to have second seasons. Aside from I Am Groot and Loki, the franchise’s other animated offering, Marvel Studios’ What If…? is the only other series that is currently confirmed for a sophomore outing. For I Am Groot, specifically, considering its shorter episodic, primarily isolated storytelling, and animated form, it’s much easier to continue the project.

Related: Is That John Krasinski In The Loki Season 2 Trailer?

It’s also worth noting that I Am Groot fits into Disney’s traditional branding of children-friendly shows. While its events are supposedly canon, they don’t have any massive impact on the overall Multiverse Saga storytelling like Loki season 2. Instead, it’s an easy watch for both MCU aficionados, but more importantly to kids who know who the adorable Guardians of the Galaxy hero is. Because of this, it won’t be surprising if Marvel Studios keep the show going despite its minimal effect on the bigger universe.

Key Release Dates