RIP Groot. We hardly knew ye. That’s right, everyone’s favourite name-spouting anthropomorphic tree actually (kinda) died in Guardians of the Galaxy and Baby Groot, his replacement, is actually a new Groot. Has that left you scratching your head? Don't worry, James Gunn has cleared it up.
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In an exclusive with SFX Magazine, the Guardians director revealed that Baby Groot is a different character because the first Groot shuffled off his mortal soil, “Groot’s sacrifice at the end of the movie means something. It’s not a meaningless sacrifice. He sacrificed himself for these people he loves.”
“And Baby Groot is not Groot,” Gunn explains, “He’s a different character and he does not have that character’s memories. He’s stupid – he’s a baby, he’s an idiot! So changing that character to Baby Groot was a hugely important element in crafting this story.
Well, uhh, that’s actually sort of tragic? It’s certainly made me look at the first Guardians movie in a whole new light. I’m off to have a cry now.
Read more about Groot and Guardians of the Galaxy 2 in the latest issue of SFX magazine, on sale now. Buy future issues here.
Images: Marvel & SFX Magazine