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'Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2' Director Hints At Heartbreaking Baby Groot Reveal

Plus, Vin Diesel returns to voice your favorite tiny Guardian

Baby Groot is shaping up to be the real breakout star of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Not only did everyone’s favorite dancing sapling steal the spotlight from Chris Pratt in footage released at San Diego Comic-Con (don’t worry, Pratt didn’t mind), but he also seems to be at the forefront of fans’ minds — and the official Guardians 2 concept art.

Now, even more info about Baby Groot’s role in the sequel has been released — and yes, Vin Diesel will be back to voice the beloved character. Though he’ll probably sound a lot different than you were expecting. (If Bill Hader and Ben Schwartz can come together to voice BB-8, then Diesel can handle Baby Groot. Plus, have you heard his normal speaking voice?)

On Tuesday, director James Gunn took to his Facebook page to run down a few of his “Really Frequently Asked Questions,” and between dishing on Diesel’s famous Carol Channing impression and quashing our dreams of seeing Thanos finally stand up from that chair, he may have actually revealed a major part of Groot’s story in the anticipated sequel.

When asked if Baby Groot has Groot’s memories, Gunn replied with a curt, yet effective “no.” This means that his entire history with Rocket Raccoon has effectively been erased, which is equal parts heartbreaking and traumatic, especially for poor Rocket. He already feels othered because he’s literally the only one of his kind in the universe, and now he’s lost his best friend. I honestly might cry just thinking about it. No wonder the script brought Pratt to tears!

Marvel Studios

Rocket Raccoon

Of course, that doesn’t mean Rocket and Baby Groot won’t have their own special bond. After all, it was Rocket who pulled the tiny sapling from the rubble at the end of the first film and effectively nursed him back to health. So the development of their new dynamic will be special. That said, Baby Groot isn’t just a cute li’l animation; he’s the emotional crux of the group.

Gunn recently revealed a snapshot of the “special Groot version” of the Guardians 2 script that only he and Diesel share. “Every Groot line is printed in English instead of Groot, so Vin will know what the various ‘I am Groots’ mean,” he wrote on Facebook. This is why Groot, and now Baby Groot, mean so much to the fans. There’s a warmth to his character, thanks to the way Diesel manages to say so much with just one word.

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