Guardians of the Galaxy: “Groot is dead. Baby Groot is his son.”

James Gunn is clear: Groot and Baby Groot are not the same character.

While waiting for the release of Guardians of the Galaxy on TMC, a look back at an anecdote that caused a lot of noise in 2018. It all started with a quiz on Twitter.

Ash Crossnana journalist fromEntertainment Tonightretweeted a photo montage of baby Groot and a Porg that asked “Which one would you save?”. “It’s too twisted”comments this fan of the new creatures from Star Wars before the director of Guardians of the GalaxyJames Gunn, does not get involved by saying: “Groot is not an animal! He is an advanced life form! The choice is easy!!” After several tweets bickering about the status of the tree vs. that of the Porgs (treated with “penguins” and of “pigeons with big eyes” by the director who loves animals, but adds more to defend his cause), another Internet user takes advantage of the debate to ensure that “Groot can be reborn, that’s what he did in the movie. Whereas if you kill a Porg, he’s dead.” What James Gunn answers : “Groot is dead. Baby Groot is his son.”

“I’m Groot?”
A remark that surprised his fans, because if we see Groot disappearing at the end of the Guardians of the Galaxy (he sacrifices himself to protect his friends), we understand that he was able to be reborn from his ashes (or rather from one of his “branches”) and is growing back. The end scene where mini-Groot dances as soon as Drax’s back is turned instantly became cult. Then the character returned in miniature version in the Flight. 2. And he’s extremely cute (at least as cute as a Porg, right? We don’t dare ask James that question…).

Guardians of the Galaxy 3: we haven’t yet seen Groot in his final form

The director received multiple reactions following this message, and he justified that he had always seen Groot and Baby Groot as “two different characters”, “with two different personalities”. And that he had already talked about it since the release of the first film (he actually very regularly answers his fans’ questions about Twitter). “It is a fact !”he insists before posting a proof of his vision of things: “He doesn’t have Groot’s memories. Groot would have known to press the button! (…) Rocket has to tell him to press the button again. The adult Groot would not have needed to hear it said several times times. Well, okay, maybe twice.”

One of his followers then states that “Scientifically speaking, Baby Groot is a perfect clone of big Groot”James Gunn insists: “No it is wrong.” Another takes over by assuming that“Different memory perhaps, but they can be part of the same plant and have the same genetic identity. IT’S STILL GROOT.” Gunn responds by taking the very recent example of cloning of Barbra Streisand’s dog : “Even if what you say is true – and it may be untrue that Groot bred without sex – in this case, you think that Barbra Streisand’s new dogs are exactly like her original dog, when in fact they don’t. ‘is not the case.”

Barbra Streisand cloned her dead dog (twice)

“It’s funny how it seems thatinternet lives in One Day Without End every time I talk about Groot’s death, concludes (for the moment) the director. He and Baby Groot have a different personality, a different body, the little one doesn’t have the memories of the big one and Groot’s sacrifice meant something. We talk about it again and everyone starts to moan and moan.” Groot will return in Guardians of the Galaxy 3 (Gunn must first finish before The Suicide Squad), in the form of a teenage Groot. Or Baby Groot who grew up, but not Big Groot who was cloned/resurrected.
And if not, who would you save between Baby Groot and a Porg?

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