| Groot | |
|---|---|
| Marvel Cinematic Universe character | |
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| First appearance | Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) |
| Based on | |
| Adapted by | |
| Voiced by | |
| Motion capture by |
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| In-universe information | |
| Nicknames |
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| Species | Flora colossus |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Bounty hunter/Mercenary |
| Affiliation | Guardians of the Galaxy |
| Family | Rocket (adoptive father of second incarnation) |
Groot is afictional character voiced byVin Diesel and portrayed in various forms and capacities viamotion capture by Diesel, Krystian Godlewski,Sean Gunn,James Gunn andTerry Notary, in theMarvel Cinematic Universe (MCU)media franchise, based on theMarvel Comics characterof the same name. A tree-like extraterrestrialhumanoid known as a flora colossus, the character is a member of theGuardians of the Galaxy and a close associate ofRocket in particular. The initial incarnation of the character sacrifices himself to save his allies during the battle againstRonan the Accuser at the climax of the first film, leaving behind a sapling which grows into a new Groot, colloquially known as "Baby Groot" and differentiated offscreen by James Gunn as the original's "son".[1][2] Raised by Rocket as an adoptive son, the new Groot gradually grows to a similar size as his predecessor over the course of his next several appearances. He participates in the conflicts againstEgo and thenThanos, falling victim tothe Blip before being resurrected five years later by theAvengers and participating in the final battle against Thanos before departing for space with the Guardians. After the Guardians defeat theHigh Evolutionary, Groot continues to serve on the team, now under the command of Rocket.
The character's name is derived from either or both of two words: the Dutchgroot, meaning big or great in size,[3] or the noungroot, meaning mud, soil or earth.[4] The origin of the noun, which is now obsolete except in dialect, was Old English.
As of 2024[update], Groot has appeared in six films, the television specialThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, and the animated series of shorts calledI Am Groot released onDisney+.
A sentient tree-like humanoid, Groot becomes associated with Rocket Racoon. In 2014, on the planetXandar, they spotPeter Quill fightingGamora for possession of thePower Stone. Rocket and Groot interfere in their fight, as they attempt to capture Quill for a bounty. All four are captured by theNova Corps and sent to theKyln, a space prison. Rocket devises an intricate plan to escape from the Kyln, which involves a battery taken from a device from high up on the wall as the last step due to its connection to an alarm. However, Groot, innocently meaning to help, extends himself to a great height and takes the device, triggering alarms and forcing the rest to accelerate the plan. They escape along with Kyln inmateDrax, and the five become the Guardians of the Galaxy. They travel toKnowhere to sell the Power Stone, where Rocket and Drax have a heated argument resulting in a bar fight between Drax and Groot. After Drax drunkenly calls his powerful enemy Ronan to confront him, Ronan arrives and easily beats Drax and acquires the Power Stone, tossing Drax into a vat of spinal fluid from the mining operations on Knowhere. Groot rescues Drax from drowning, and while Rocket wants to flee, he is convinced by Groot and by Drax's apology to help save Xandar from Ronan's attack.
As Groot and the Guardians battleRonan the Accuser aboard theDark Aster, Rocket crashes a Ravager ship through the control room of theDark Aster, causing it to crash-land on Xandar. Before impact, Groot sacrifices himself to shield Rocket and the others by extending his body to form a cocoon, taking the brunt of the impact. On Xandar, the remaining Guardians are able to regain control of the Power Stone and destroy Ronan.
Shortly after the Battle of Xandar, Rocket plants a sapling taken from Groot's scattered body, which grows into a new, baby Groot[1] who quickly develops a love of music and dancing. Two months later, the Guardians of the Galaxy are hired by the Sovereign to protect valuable batteries from an inter-dimensional monster. Groot accompanies them, but rather than fighting the monster, he picks fights with rat-like reptiles in the area. When Quill's fatherEgo reveals himself to the Guardians, they split up so that Quill, Gamora, and Drax can go with Ego to his planet while Rocket and Groot stay behind to watchNebula and repair the ship. However, theRavagers arrive searching for Quill and after a fight, they capture Rocket and Groot and free Nebula. The Ravagers mutiny against their leader,Yondu, and mistreat Groot. After the Ravagers fall asleep, Rocket and Yondu plot their escape, and Groot tries to find Yondu's fin. Eventually, Groot kills the Ravager who had tormented him and they destroy most of the Ravager vessel except for a breakaway quarter, in which they travel to Ego's planet. They learn that Ego is an evil living planet intent on dominating the universe. Quill keeps Ego occupied in combat with his newfound Celestial powers until Rocket is able to assemble a bomb, which Groot places in Ego's brain.
Groot encountered the Grunds alien species, who believe he is their hero when Groot farts a leaf. When Groot returns from retrieving additional leaves, he accidentally steps on the Grunds. He also encounters Iwua, a space-shifting alien who impersonates him in a dance off, but Groot kills him via opening the airlock. Sometime later, Groot takes a bath and uses his leaves to form multiple "costumes", and skins a squirrel-bird creature that mocked him. Baby Groot sets out to retrieve tools to paint the Guardians of the Galaxy; which he shows to Rocket, whom he saves from an explosion. When exploring the planet of Terma, Groot took care of a bird like creature when it egg hatched. When he was looking for batteries for his video game. He stumbled upon a bionic nose and add a new perspective of smell, until he later took it off when he smelled his room. When the Guardians land on the ice planet of Falligar. Groot was having fun in the snow and made a snowman with parts of the ship, which went out havoc that Groot needs to shut it down. Later on, Groot noticed an intergalactic ice cream truck passing by the Quadrant and was searching for coins for some ice cream. When he was too late as it passed by, he got on to a pod and rammed into the truck. He got his ice cream, but got into trouble with Nova Corps for destroying the ice cream truck. Then Groot wondering into the temple of Drez-Lar where the prophecy of the Seed of Drez-Lar lies and for Groot to fulfill it to save the universe while he unnoticed being watch by theWatcher. But Groot messed it up by burning the seed into the lave as the temple collapses with him in it, but he survived the fallen temple and moves on in the ship as he's waving goodbye to the Watcher, which surprised him.
In 2018, an older,video game-addicted teenage Groot and the rest of the Guardians respond to a distress signal and end up rescuingThor, who is floating in space amidst the wreckage of theStatesman. Thor tells them ofThanos' plan to obtain the Infinity Stones, and the Guardians split up, with Rocket and Groot accompanying Thor toNidavellir to create a new weapon. They find an abandoned Nidavellir and meet the dwarf kingEitri. The four work together to createStormbreaker, a powerful axe that also grants Thor the power of the Bifröst. Thor is near death from the strain of creating the weapon, and Groot uses his own arm as a handle to finish the axe and heal Thor. Thor transports himself, Rocket, and Groot toWakanda onEarth via the Bifröst to help theAvengers and the Wakandan army in the battle against theOutriders. During the battle, Groot is introduced by Thor toSteve Rogers. Groot joins the Avengers in the forest to protectVision and tries to stop Thanos after he arrives. However, Thanos is able to activate theInfinity Gauntlet and snap his fingers. Groot is a victim ofthe Blip and dissolves into dust alongside half of all living things in the universe. Groot uttered one final "I am Groot," which directorJames Gunn revealed translated to "...Dad?" as he looked to Rocket for help.[5]
In 2023, Groot is restored to life and is brought via portal by theMasters of the Mystic Arts to the destroyedAvengers Compound to join thebattle against an alternate Thanos and his army. A week later, Groot and the reunited Guardians attendsTony Stark's funeral. Afterwards, he and the team pick Thor up fromNorway and return to space.
Groot and the Guardians returned to their adventures in space. In 2025, on Indigarr, the team learns of distress calls as gods were being killed, and they split off from Thor to answer various distress calls across the galaxy.
Few months later, the Guardians buy Knowhere and are joined byCosmo the Spacedog. Groot, now bulky and bigger,[6] helps rebuild it following the attack it had faced. Later that year, he takes part in Mantis'Christmas celebrations for Quill. Rocket and Cosmo dress him up to mirror aChristmas tree but he lowers his arms frustrating them.
In 2026, after Knowhere is rebuilt, Groot carries a drunken Quill to bed. He then fightsAdam Warlock after he attacks them to retrieve Rocket. After Rocket is injured, he joins the team in their new ship to find resources to save Rocket. Their ship gets stopped by Ravagers and analternate Gamora joins them taking them to Orgocorp. He stays with Rocket on the ship before being tasked with picking the team up. They then travel toCounter Earth and alongside Quill, confronts theHigh Evolutionary, before engaging in a fight with his men. He and Quill escape and are picked up by Gamora, where he witness Rocket flatline, before he is resuscitated by Quill. They then reunite with Nebula, Mantis, and Drax and help release the High Evolutionary's captives. The team go back into the ship and help Rocket defeat the High Evolutionary before escaping to Knowhere. Quill calls for a meeting and gives Rocket the title of Captain, while most of the team leaves. Before Quill and Mantis depart, Groot says "I love you guys", making this the first time the audience understands him.
Groot stays on the team with Rocket, Cosmo, and Obfonteri, while being joined by Warlock and Phylla. He grows even more, becoming massive, and accompanies the team to Kyrlor.
Alternate versions of Groot appear inWhat If...?, voiced byFred Tatasciore.
In an alternate universe, Groot works atHoward the Duck's casino onXandar. He joins Howard,Korg, andMiek to assist CorpsmanNebula in preventing an invasion and taking down corrupt Nova Corps leaders.
In an alternate 1602, Groot owned a winery called Groot Groves andThor was a customer. However, he was killed by tear in the universe due to the incursion.
In an alternate 2018, Groot accompanied Rocket and Thor in battling against Thanos, who was caught up by the zombie infection. Groot and Rocket were subsequently vaporized by Thanos.
Groot first appeared inTales to Astonish #13 (November 1960), and was created byStan Lee,Larry Lieber andJack Kirby.[7] "Groot" is theDutch word for "large", possibly referring to his stature and ability to grow in size.[8] He appeared again inThe Incredible Hulk Annual #5 (Oct. 1976), alongside five other monsters from Marvel's anthology horror comics of the late 1950s and early 1960s. InThe Sensational Spider-Man #−1 (July 1997), Groot was featured in a nightmare of the youngPeter Parker. Groot reappeared in 2006 in the six-issue limited seriesNick Fury's Howling Commandos, and appeared in theAnnihilation: Conquest andAnnihilation: Conquest –Star-Lord limited series. Groot went on to join theGuardians of the Galaxy in the series of the same name, and remained a fixture of the title until its cancellation with issue #25 in 2010.
Marvel Studios PresidentKevin Feige first mentionedGuardians of the Galaxy as a potential film at the 2010San Diego Comic-Con, stating, "There are some obscure titles, too, likeGuardians of the Galaxy. I think they've been revamped recently in a fun way in the [comic] book."[9] Feige reiterated that sentiment in a September 2011 issue ofEntertainment Weekly, saying, "There's an opportunity to do a big space epic, whichThor sort of hints at, in the cosmic side" of theMarvel Cinematic Universe. Feige added, should the film be made, it would feature an ensemble of characters, similar toX-Men andThe Avengers.[10] Feige announced that the film was in active development at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con during the Marvel Studios panel, with an intended release date of August 1, 2014. He said the film's titular team would consist of the charactersStar-Lord,Drax the Destroyer,Gamora, Groot, andRocket.[11]
In September 2013,Vin Diesel stated that he was voicing Groot,[12] though Marvel did not confirm Diesel's involvement in the film at the time.[13][14][15]
Groot is first introduced as Rocket's partner appearing in the filmGuardians of the Galaxy.[16] He has a limited vocabulary, using only his popular catchphrase "I am Groot", although he later managed to say the phrase "We are Groot" before sacrificing his life for the Guardians of the Galaxy in the battle with Ronan for an infinity stone. Other Groot characteristics include the ability to grow his branches in height, length, and girth (assimilating arms and legs), vining branches, growing flowers and producing a form of luminescent seeds.
A tree-like humanoid,[17] he is the accomplice of Rocket. Diesel stated that he provided the voice andmotion capture for Groot, after originally being in talks to star in a newPhase Three Marvel film.[18][19][12] Diesel also provided Groot's voice for several foreign-language releases of the film.[20] Krystian Godlewski portrayed the character on set, though his acting was not used in the final character CGI.[21][22] On the character, which Gunn based on his dog,[23] Gunn said, "All the Guardians start out the movie as bastards—except Groot. He's an innocent. He's a hundred percent deadly and a hundred percent sweet. He's caught up in Rocket's life, really." Gunn added that the design and movement of Groot took "the better part of a year" to create.[24] Gunn added, "The ways in which Vin Diesel says, 'I am Groot,' I am astounded. All of the 'I am Groots' that were earlier voices didn't sound very good at all ... Vin came in and in one day, laid down all these 'I am Groot' tracks, and he's a perfectionist. He made me explain to him with ever [sic] 'I am Groot,' exactly what he was saying ... It was amazing when we first put that voice in there how much the character changed and how much he influenced the character."[25] Regarding the limited words used by Groot, Diesel said in many ways this was, "... the most challenging thing to ask an actor to do."[26] Diesel found an emotional note in his performance, invoking the death of his friend andFast & Furious co-starPaul Walker, saying, "This was in December [2013], and the first time I came back to dealing with human beings after dealing with death, so playing a character who celebrates life in the way Groot does was very nice."[27] Groot's form and size-changing abilities are seen, with Gunn stating that he has the ability to grow in the film.[28]
The mature Groot appears to be nearly indestructible, as seen when his limbs are chopped off and by his ability to thicken his branches into a protective mass that's impenetrable by bullets. He serves as a friend, shield and protector of Rocket and his fellow Guardian friends.[citation needed]
The reborn incarnation of the character exhibits some different qualities, particularly in his very young stages.[29][30] First seen as asapling at the end of the first film, withJames Gunn initially intended for him to be fully grown by the sequel, but eventually decided to keep him as "Baby Groot", which was one of the reasons the film is set only a few months after the first.[31] Gunn described Baby Groot as the son of Groot from the first film,[32] with Diesel explaining that "we're going to see this goofy, adorable, baby Groot [just] kinda learning as he goes."[33][34]Prop master Russell Bobbitt created a 1:1 scale model of the 10-inch (25 cm) Baby Groot for filming, to use as a lighting reference and sometimes as a puppet for the actors to interact with.[35] As Groot only communicates with the phrase "I am Groot" in different inflections, Gunn created a "Groot Version" of the script for himself and Diesel, which contains each of Groot's lines in English.[36] Diesel used a higher register of his voice for Baby Groot, which was pitched up by seven to ninesemitones depending on the take. He also delivered lines slowly to avoid any time stretching issues.[37] Diesel recorded Groot's voice for sixteen foreign-language releases of the film (up from six in the first film).[38]Sean Gunn provided on-set reference for adolescent Groot in the post-credit sequence.[39]
Vin Diesel reprises his role as Baby Groot inWalt Disney Animation Studios' 2018 filmRalph Breaks the Internet. He is seen in theOh My Disney world of the Internet answering questions from fans, with every answer being "I am Groot".[40]
Baby Groot appears inGuardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! atDisney California Adventure, while the mature Groot appears inGuardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind atEpcot.[41][42] For these appearances the character is voiced byFred Tatasciore.
Jacob Stolworthy ofThe Independent praised the character, opining that Groot was "one of the best things about the firstGuardians of the Galaxy film, and his camaraderie with Rocket Raccoon [was] a highlight". However, Stolworthy also criticized the subsequent depiction of the character as a baby as "extremely annoying".[43]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian, meanwhile, praised the character, likening Groot to "a hugeTolkienian creature".[44]
Following the premiere ofGuardians of the Galaxy, Vin Diesel andBradley Cooper, who voices Rocket, were nominated in the "Best Duo" category at the2015 MTV Movie Awards,[45] Vin Diesel was nominated forBest Voice Performance at the2015 Black Reel Awards for the first film,[46] later he won the award at the2018 Black Reel Awards for the second film.[47] The character has also been the subject of numerousmemes on social media.[48] Media outlets expressed excitement at seeing the bigger, bulkier Groot who appeared inThe Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.[6]
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