Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 director James Gunn clarifies which version of Groot will be in the movie following some misleading comments from actor Vin Diesel. Due for release in 2023, Vol. 3 is set to conclude a trilogy that started in 2014 with Gunn's surprise MCU hit Guardians of the Galaxy. The first film introduced the walking, talking tree creature Groot. He was voiced by Diesel and instantly captured audiences' hearts thanks to his partnership with Bradley Cooper's Rocket Raccoon and his hilarious vocabulary that consists of only three words: "I am Groot".

Groot began life in the MCU as a fully-grown tree-like humanoid, but then sacrificed himself to protect the newly-formed Guardians. After surviving and being regrown from a sapling by Rocket, the character reappeared in the Guardians of the Galaxy sequel as Baby Groot. Since then, Groot has appeared in a number of MCU projects, with the most recent being his own Disney+ series, I Am Groot. He will next be seen in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special and Vol. 3; the latter movie recently sparked a debate online. At San Diego Comic-Con, Diesel mentioned an "Alpha Groot" that led some fans to wonder if a different version of the character would appear in the film.

Related: James Gunn's Cameo In I Am Groot Explained

Now Gunn has stepped up to put an end to the confusion. Responding to a fan who directly mentioned Diesel's comments, Gunn clarifies the supposed existence of an "Alpha Groot". If fans had gotten excited at the prospect of seeing this version of the character, they may be disappointed. Read Gunn's response below:

I Am Groot shorts aside, audiences last saw Groot alongside the rest of the Guardians in Thor: Love & Thunder. He was his normal teenaged self there, and all signs point to him still being in that form by the time the holiday special rolls around later this year. The first Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 footage debuted exclusively at Comic-Con, but as it wasn't released online, it was easy for speculation over what was shown to run rampant. Ultimately, Diesel's comments meant little in the long run; it instead sounds like the actor was just hyping up his character's role in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. Audiences likely shouldn't expect a jacked Groot to appear onscreen.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will not only conclude Gunn's trilogy but, in the director's own words, will also mark the end of the current iteration of the superhero team. With the movie positioned to be an emotional sendoff, it's perhaps for the best that it won't feature any shocking twists on the beloved characters. Groot is a successful character all on his own, and Gunn likely has a great storyline planned for him, which will hopefully be unveiled soon.

Source: James Gunn/Twitter