I Am Groot seems to have just changed MCU canon by suggesting that Baby Groot remembers his past life in the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Released on Disney+, I Am Groot is a series of shorts about Baby Groot’s adventures as he grows up alongside the Guardians. Although all the shorts focus on Groot as a child, they take place at different points across the MCU timeline, spread between Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 and Avengers: Infinity War. With Marvel labeling the shorts as part of MCU Phase 4, one episode of the series appears to ret-con Baby Groot’s connection to the original Groot.
The possibility of I Am Groot being in the MCU timeline is important due to the events in season 1, episode 5, “Magnum Opus.” In this final short of the first season of the series, Groot scavenges for art supplies around the Guardians of the Galaxy’s ship. With these supplies, he is able to create a family portrait of the Guardians. This drawing depicts a giant version of Groot using his arms to encircle his family, including Rocket, Star-Lord, Gamora, and Drax.
Baby Groot’s picture resembles adult Groot’s final sacrifice at the end of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie. Groot grew into a giant sphere to encase the rest of the Guardians as the spaceship that they were on crashed. While this saved his friends, Groot died from the impact. The drawing of Groot’s long branch arms surrounding the other Guardians is reminiscent of this event, hinting that Baby Groot might have retained some memories of adult Groot’s life. In this way, I Am Groot might have contradicted the previously established MCU canon, confirmed by James Gunn, which has always held that Baby Groot did not remember events experienced by the original Groot.
Why Baby Groot Has No Memories from Guardians of the Galaxy
Although it is unclear if I Am Groot is MCU canon, some facts have been established about Baby Groot, including his memories, in the past. When directly asked if Baby Groot remembered any events before the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, the movie’s writer-director, James Gunn, stated simply, “No. He has no memories of adult Groot.” This led many viewers to wonder why Baby Groot did not remember his past life, given that he grew from twigs from adult Groot that Rocket gathered and planted. According to Gunn, “First Groot is dead. Baby Groot is his son.” This means that Baby Groot is a different character than the original Groot, proving that Baby Groot does not remember adult Groot’s life even if his drawing seems to suggest otherwise.
While the other characters’ reactions to Groot’s picture reinforce that Baby Groot has no earlier memories, they also reveal the hidden importance of the drawing. Baby Groot is excited by his creation, which represents a family hug rather than adult Groot’s rescue. In contrast, Rocket speaks in a nostalgic tone when Baby Groot hands him the picture. He immediately comments, “Oh, look how big you are,” signaling that the picture reminds him of his old friend. In this way, Baby Groot’s drawing in I Am Groot is a poignant reminder of his origin without breaking canon about his memories of the past. But considering James Gunn has denied I Am Groot canonically links to his Guardians of the Galaxy movies, despite Marvel’s claim it’s part of MCU Phase 4, none of the clarification matters anyway.
