James Gunn Reveals What Role He Reprised In GOTG Holiday Special

The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special writer and director James Gunn reveals that he reprises a specific role from a previous MCU movie in the recently-released Disney+ special. Ahead of the release of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 next year, Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), Drax (Dave Bautista), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), Rocket (Bradley Cooper), Groot (Vin Diesel), and Nebula (Karen Gillan) return for a bite-sized, holiday-themed adventure. Clocking in at about 45 minutes, the special has received warm praise from audiences and critics alike for its lighthearted atmosphere, rocking soundtrack, and surprising moments of emotion.

In a recent reply to a fan on Twitter asking about how Groot was brought to life in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, James Gunn reveals that he actually reprises his role as the reference for Groot's dance moves. The special features two catchy musical numbers, both of which see Groot and the other Guardians showing off their dance prowess. Gunn previously provided the motion capture for Baby Groot's dance scene in the fun opening action scene of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Check out Gunn's response on Twitter below:

How Groot Has Changed Throughout The MCU

Swoll Groot smiling in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

The original Groot, who stood much taller and had a deeper voice, dies during the emotional climax of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie, sacrificing himself in order to protect his friends. Despite only ever repeating the phrase "I am Groot" with different intonations, the character quickly became a fan favorite. Although Gunn has confirmed that the original version of the character did in fact die in Guardians of the Galaxy, a new version of Groot grows in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. Referred to as Baby Groot, the adorable hero is no longer the wise and formidable character that appears in the first movie, but instead playful and somewhat innocent, serving as the source of much of the second movie's comedy.

Although the Guardians of the Galaxy haven't starred in their own solo movie since 2017, the heroes have played important roles in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame. Groot appears as more of a child or young teenager in the two Avengers movies and has much more of an attitude, which makes for some fun interactions with Rocket. The two movies also see Groot breaking out some combat skills once more, a change from Baby Groot's general disregard for enemies in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. In the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, Groot undergoes another fairly big physical transformation. Referred to as YA Groot, or Swoll Groot, the new version of the character is noticeably stockier than the original Groot ever was, potentially setting up what's to come in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.

While The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special doesn't directly tease what's next in the upcoming final installment, Groot's new muscular appearance could mean that audiences will be seeing the hero become a much more formidable fighting force. Gunn has already teased that Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 will focus a lot on Rocket's tragic backstory, but it's likely that as Groot becomes stronger and more outspoken, there could also be some interesting changes in the Guardians of the Galaxy's character dynamics.

More: Sorry Vin Diesel, But A Solo Groot Movie Is A Bad Idea

Source: James Gunn