After spending the majority of Guardians of the Galaxy as a towering figure, Groot exited the cosmic Marvel movie in infant form. In Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the walking and talking tree has grown a little bit and is now mobile, but he's still the adorable Baby version we last saw dancing to The Jackson 5 in his plant pot. As one can surmise from watching previews, it looks like Baby Groot will be quite the scene-stealer in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, and Dave Bautista, a.k.a. Drax the Destroyer, freely admits that it's hard for him and his fellow actors to compete against the little tyke due to his cuteness. Bautista said:
Whenever you have to compete with cute little Baby Groot --- it's like you're pouring your heart out in a scene --- and you know this little tree is going to steal the scene. It sucks, man... They're not even paying attention. All they're seeing is Groot's big eyes and his innocent look, and they're like, 'Awww.'
The Guardians of the Galaxy movies are populated with a lot of colorful characters, from a tattooed warrior unable to understand metaphors to a loudmouthed genetically altered raccoon, but Dave Bautista has a point: when Baby Groot walks into frame, a lot of moviegoers are going to be instantly drawn in by those wide eyes and squeaky voice. If Baby Groot has garnered so much attention from photos, trailers and TV spots, just imagine what the reaction will be like after people walk out of the theaters. It appears that some upstaging is in store.
Dave Bautista's costar Chris Pratt shared his sentiments on Baby Groot, calling him "completely adorable" and noting how it was important for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2's execution of the animated character would generate an emotional response from the audience, much like how the first movie carefully handled Rocket. Meanwhile, director James Gunn said some influence for Baby Groot came from his nephew, Will, but overall, the little tree is his "his own animal." As he put it to Yahoo Movies:
He does have that very strong, super cuteness, super baby feel. Only he kills people.
The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 advertising has made it clear that just because Baby Groot is small and adorable doesn't mean he should be underestimated. He's still amazingly strong, and the adversaries who cross his path in the sequel will learn that firsthand. However, those brief bouts of tiny fury will be offset by Baby Groot's cute moments, and they threaten to overshadow any other characters sharing screen time with him.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 finally arrives in theaters this Friday, and if you haven't already, be sure to read our review of the movie.
