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This article contains spoilers for the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

In wake of the release of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special, James Gunn explains the difference between the old Groot (Vin Diesel) and the new Groot. Groot made his Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) debut in the 2014 film Guardians of the Galaxy, and is a tree-like alien who communicates solely through the sequence of words, "I am Groot." Sadly, Groot died when he sacrificed himself to save the Guardians at the end of the film. However, part of his body was replanted and Baby Groot, Groot's son, grew out of it. He isn't a baby anymore in the Holiday Special, though.

Gunn took to Twitter to answer some fans' questions following the premiere of The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special on Disney+. One fan noted that Groot's head is noticeably bigger than the former Groot's, and questioned why that is. As a result, Gunn explained that this Groot is called YA Groot, or Swoll Groot, and is physically bigger than his father was. He also seemed to indicate that Groot is still getting bigger, too. Check out his answer below:

https://twitter.com/jetblacjetblac/s...90627301056512

How The GOTG Characters Have Evolved


Gunn's discussion confirmed that the Guardians of the Galaxy have changed and evolved since their initial debut. This only makes sense considering it is close to a decade since they initially made their debut. Groot's evolution is, of course, the most noticeable considering he is an entirely different Groot. However, the other Guardians have changed as well, as Drax's (Dave Bautista) and Mantis' evolution was also on display in the special, given that they were largely the stars of it.

In the films, Mantis (Pom Klementieff) has been notoriously sidelined and appeared timid and quiet. However, she took center stage for the holiday special and fully delved into her weird and funny side as she and Drax searched for a gift for Star-Lord (Chris Pratt), that being what they believe to be his greatest hero, Kevin Bacon. However, she also revealed a touching connection to Star-Lord and truly expressed her feelings, surprised and elated to find him welcoming her reveal as a positive thing. Meanwhile, Drax's evolution has been ongoing since the first film, as he transformed from a hardened warrior seeking vengeance for the death of his family into a man exploring new relationships and friendships.

Rocket (Bradley Cooper) and Nebula (Karen Gillan) also showed evolution in the special as they tentatively partook in some holiday festivities. Although they were quite awkward about it, they proved that they are capable of a little bit of heart and emotion, in spite of their hardened exteriors. Star-Lord, meanwhile, has had one of the saddest evolutions, as viewers saw him mature and become more subdued after losing Gamora (Zoe Saldaņa), and losing her a second time as she went off to lead the Ravagers following Avengers: Endgame. However, his reaction to learning he still has some family left proves that he still has the same heart as he did before, and it's just a little more weathered from life. Gunn's The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special continued to add to the realism of the Guardians as it further explored how they have naturally developed and changed over time.