Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 promises us several new characters in the upcoming sequel, including the introduction of Mantis and whoever the heck Kurt Russell is playing. However, one potential new character is coming from an unexpected place. At the end of the first film, we saw Groot get reborn into a small sapling of a creature. It sounds like that transition had an impact on more than his size; it will impact his personality as well.
The Groot that we met at the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy was a big, slow, mass of a walking tree. However, by the end of the film he had sacrificed himself to save his friends. While he was able to survive, it's possible that the new "baby Groot" that we saw at the end of the movie isn't simply a different form, but actually a different character. Executive Producer Jonathan Schwartz told Entertainment Weekly, that this new Groot will act very differently in the new movie.
He doesn't have the wisdom and experience of that Groot. He's a younger Groot and a more rambunctious Groot. The question is, is he the same Groot, just smaller? Or is he a different Groot that's sprung up from the seed of the first Groot?
Groot was such a deliberate creature in Guardians of the Galaxy that the mere idea of him as "rambunctious" boggles the imagination. At the same time, it's a great idea for the character that we can't wait to see; it will add some entirely new dynamics to the film. Rocket was usually the wild one in that particular duo. How will this new Groot impact the relationship between the two characters? Will Rocket and Groot become out of control partners in crime, or will Rocket need to mature a bit and watch out for his now young friend?
This sets up some different possibilities for the future as well. If this Groot is actually a different character then that means after Groot has grown back to his previous self, however long that takes, we may still be in for a very different Guardian. We may never see the Groot from the first Guardians of the Galaxy again. This is potentially very good news for Vin Diesel, as it will require him to record entirely new inflections on the words "I am Groot."
For fans of Groot, this could be some sad news of course. If you particularly liked the slow and methodical Groot, it sounds like we won't be seeing much of him in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
Are you excited to see the new character, or frustrated that the old was is gone, at least for now?
