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James Gunn Confident Baby Groot Will Be A Scene-Stealer In Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2

When asked about Baby Groot's involvement in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, James Gunn teased that Vin Diesel's sprout is "a little jerk."

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Regardless of whether they’re well versed in the comics or not, ask any moviegoer to select their favorite Guardians member coming out of James Gunn’s 2014 sleeper hit and the vast majority will inevitably lean toward Drax the Destroyer, the hulking loon brought to life with infectious glee by Dave Bautista.

Indeed, if early screenings are any indication, his popularity among fans continues to grow, but Drax will have some competition when it comes to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. After laying his life on the line three years ago, Groot is back, and he’s cuter than ever before. Still in the midst of his regeneration process – up from a dancing pot plant to a walking, talking (?) sprout – Baby Groot has already struck a chord with moviegoers the world over, and during a recent chat with Screen Rant, writer-director James Gunn shed new light on his smallest Guardians member.

Does Baby Groot have the power to steal Guardians 2? It certainly seems so. And no, the decision to remodel Vin Diesel’s fan-favorite wasn’t designed to drive merchandise; rather, it was a creative change that suited the story of James Gunn’s spacefaring sequel. Here’s what the director had to share:

“He’s a unique little fella, and he’s pretty great in the movie even though he’s not even there. But all the time Chris is like “God dammit, he’s gonna steal the f***ing movie.” And it’s nothing. It’s nothing there, but he’s funny even in the dailies we’re watching. And we got the guy on a stick, and people are laughing. There’s something really cool about him, and he’s funny in the movie. He’s a little jerk too.”

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 blasts into theaters in time for May 5th, when it’ll pave the way for an additional two Marvel movies in 2017, namely Spider-Man: Homecoming and Thor: Ragnarok.