In March, Vin Diesel was asked about the various stages of Groot’s life. Which part of the growth cycle would come next? The actor told USA Today that a very different (and unexpected) version of Groot was indeed on the way, and that fans were in for a real treat when the creature next showed up onscreen.
"The Groot that we're going to is Alpha Groot. You're gonna lose your mind when you see Alpha Groot."
The "Alpha Groot" name was debunked by James Gunn, though it’s now possible that Diesel was actually talking about his role in Thor: Love and Thunder instead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. A few weeks ago, a leak indicated that Diesel had arrived in Australia to film the fourth Thor movie. Considering that the news came shortly after reports that Chris Pratt had joined the cast, it seemed clear the Guardians were headed for New Asgard.
The only hiccup here is that Groot is a CGI character and Diesel only provides the voice — not the motion capture work. Why would he need to go all the way to Australia to do voice work?
Per Marvel leaker Daniel Richtman, Diesel will be doing the motion capture performance in addition to lending his voice for Groot in Love and Thunder. In hindsight, this information was already hinted at by Diesel himself, and it seems that the leak is merely putting the puzzle pieces together now that there are a few more details to parse. If true, this would be the first time that Diesel would be embodying Groot’s physicality and if he is indeed an "alpha," then it makes sense to have the actor be the stand-in for his character.
Groot has gone through several transitions, but his growth in 'Thor: Love and Thunder' may be his most important.
www.inverse.com