A new piece of concept art from Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 highlights the adolescent Groot that makes a quick cameo during the end credits. After sacrificing himself at the end of the first Guardians of the Galaxy, the tree creature was reborn as Baby Groot and turned out to be one of the highlights of the sequel. The toddler Groot’s youthful innocence provided for plenty of laughs, particularly in a scene where he tries to help break Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Yondu (Michael Rooker) out of a prison cell.

The character makes another appearance during one of Guardians 2's post-credits scenes, although this time looked a bit different - he's now an adolescent kid. Groot was as angsty as ever in the cameo, bickering with Star-Lord over spending too much time in his room. The amusing glimpse at Groot between the baby and adult stages has also popped up this week in a newly released piece of concept art.

Marvel Studios visual development concept artist Anthony Francisco posted the young Groot concept art to his Facebook page. The artwork depicts the character sitting on his bed and playing with his smartphone with giant headphones on. Much like the mid-credits scene in the final product, Groot is giving Star-Lord a dirty look as he enters his room.

Francisco has worked in the art department on both Guardians of the Galaxy movies, in addition to Ant-Man, Doctor Strange, and the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok. As evidenced by the stunning visuals in those movies, Marvel Studios certainly made a good hire. His Groot concept art is impressively close to what ended up in the final cut.

Writer/director James Gunn said in a recent Facebook Q&A that the Groot seen in the mid-credits scene is not “Teen Groot” but or “Tween Groot.” Here’s what he said:

"Another minor misconception is that people think that's Teen Groot at the end of the movie. And I understand why. It's actually Adolescent Groot. I would call him 'Tween Groot.' Or, we call him 'Adolescent Groot.' He's not quite a teenager yet."

It's unclear how big or old Groot will be in Vol. 3, but fans might be disappointed if they’re expecting more of the adolescent Groot flashed in the mid-credits scene. There's a four-year gap between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the team's next appearance in Avengers: Infinity War, so Tween Groot’s quick cameo appearance during the credits could be all you’re going to get (unless it happens in a spinoff). Regardless of age though, Groot still continues to be a highlight of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise.

Next: The Guardians of the Galaxy’s New Team Line-Up

Source: Anthony Francisco