It's been an exciting month for Guardians of the Galaxy fans. In addition to the fantastic new trailer, Marvel was been regularly releasing new images and even a contest to score tickets to the premiere. Perhaps the most discussed aspect of the upcoming sequel is Vin Diesel's Groot, who is presumably appearing in his adorable baby version for the majority of Guardians 2. Baby Groot went viral after his small appearance in the first movie, with it only becoming more of a pop culture icon as the sequel approaches. But some critics have accused director and writer James Gunn of making this choice for marketing and merchandise, rather than what was best for the character.
James Gunn, as always, has been very responsive with fans of the franchise. He addressed the concern about baby Groot via his personal Twitter, saying:
There you go, haters. James Gunn is utilizing baby Groot to help continue the story of the Guardians, not just because everyone can have their own Funko Pop version at their office desks. So there.
In addition to clarifying the reason for including baby Groot, James Gunn revealed which character he thought would be the most problematic for the studio. Gunn believed Kurt Russell's Ego would be the hardest to include, rather than the adorable little version of Groot.
James Gunn is one of the most involved directors in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. He achieved the seemingly impossible in 2014 by making some of the lesser known Marvel characters into a bonafide blockbuster. Guardians of the Galaxy ended up making an insane amount of money, and is one of the highest rated installments in the MCU. Considering how glorious the first film was, it was a relief that Gunn was once again behind the camera for Vol. 2.
Considering how involved James Gunn is in the franchise, he probably deserves the benefit of the doubt from the fandom. The director/writer hasn't dropped the ball yet, and we can only assume that a sequel where he is allowed even more creative control will deliver in a big way. And if the footage for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is any indication, we're in for quite a treat when its released.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 will fly into theaters May 5th, 2017.
