Even for a film teeming with weird and wonderful figures, Groot was always considered to be one of the more unusual characters populating Guardians of the Galaxy. But by the time the credits rolled on James Gunn’s franchise-starter, and Vin Diesel’s tree-like being sacrificed himself to protect Star-Lord and the rest of the gang, Groot arguably cemented his status as a bona fide fan-favorite – and kicking off his regenerative process by dancing to Jackson 5 only drove that point home.
Still in the midst of his regeneration, Groot is little more than a tiny sprout in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 – a creative decision that proved somewhat contentious, though James Gunn has since clarified that Baby Groot is not designed to solely drive merchandise. That wasn’t always the plan, according to the writer-director, but now that Baby Groot has won over the hearts and minds of the Marvel faithful, Gunn is confident his pint-sized Guardian can go on to become a scene-stealer.
Much of that can be traced back to comedic timing – remember the shot of Groot waving to Gamora mid-battle? – but James Gunn recently shed some light on why he believes Groot is in many ways a “better-written, more complete” character in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Per Comic Book:
“I think also, the whole personality of Groot and who he was, it was there on the page and then you forget about it while you were shooting the first movie,” Gunn continues. “But now everyone knows Groot so well that we have much larger awareness, me and the cast, of a baby Groot being there at all times. And him being one of the members in the scene…I think he’s a better-written character than the first Groot in some ways. Not that he was poorly written at all, but I think he’s just more complete character.”
After establishing their dysfunctional family three years ago, the advent of Kurt Russell’s Ego, the Living Planet – he’s the long-lost father to Peter Quill (Star-Lord) – threatens to throw a spanner in the works. Don’t worry, knowing the identity of Quill’s old man won’t spoil your enjoyment of Guardians 2, according to Gunn, who recently outlined some of Ego’s ancient abilities in anticipation of the sequel’s release in May.
That’s May 5th, to be exact, when Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will slam into theaters in North America. An April 28th release date is in place for the UK and Ireland.
