First spotted in the poster and then stealing the show in the first trailer, the new Baby Groot has become the big game changer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. However, the idea of using the pint-sized version of the character — as opposed to the full-grown Groot we all know and love — wasn’t always such a slam dunk, as James Gunn attests in an illuminating new Facebook post. Learn why convincing Marvel Studios to use Baby Groot in the Guardians sequel was important to Gunn in the full post below!
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The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 cast includes the return of Chris Pratt (Jurassic World, Parks and Recreation) as Star-Lord, Zoe Saldana (Avatar, Star Trek) as Gamora, Dave Bautista (SPECTRE) as Drax, Vin Diesel (xXx, Furious 7) as the voice of Groot, Bradley Cooper (Joy, American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket, Michael Rooker (Slither, Jumper) as Yondu, Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, The Big Short) as Nebula, and Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), who plays Mantis, Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, Furious 7) as Ego, the Living Planet.
Set to the backdrop of Awesome Mixtape #2, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is produced by Marvel Studios’ president, Kevin Feige, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Jonathan Schwartz, Nik Korda and Stan Lee serving as executive producers. Look for it to hit the big screen May 5, 2017, the first of three Marvel Studios films arriving in 2017. Guardians 2 will be followed by Spider-Man: Homecoming on July 7 and Thor: Ragnarok on November 3.
