Will Groot be fully grown in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3?

The evolution of Groot has been a prominent part of the Guardians of the Galaxy’s pathway through the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Holiday Special gives us a clue to what shape Groot will take in the closing volume of the trilogy.

On the surface, The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special could seem like merely a fun pit stop for the ragtag team of misfits, but it actually continues their narrative in several ways. They want to cheer up Star-Lord, who is still missing Gamora. Plus, there is great character development for Mantis, furthering her relationship with Drax and, even more surprisingly, her unique bond with Star-Lord. However, one of the more understated touches is the physical growth of Groot.

This is the fourth formation we have seen of the shrubby space traveler. When we first meet him in Guardians of the Galaxy, he is a fully grown tree creature, tall and slender. His bounty hunter misdeeds abscise to make room for more heroic qualities. By the end, Groot sacrifices himself to save his friends. But before the final credits roll, Rocket plants his seedling to give birth to Baby Groot.

Baby Groot is the sapling running around, causing trouble in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. This was clearly the most beloved iteration of the character and the sequel stood out as the singular Baby Groot vehicle for years. That is why Marvel retroactively decided to develop a series of shorts entitled I Am Groot, which gave us more Baby Groot adventures earlier this year, on Disney Plus.

In one of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s many credit’s scenes, after some time passes, Groot evolves into a teenager who trashes his room and is glued to video games. Teenage Groot joins Thor on his quest in Avengers: Infinity War, where he eventually fights alongside the Avengers and the Wakandans against Thanos’ forces. He unfortunately falls victim to Thanos’ Infinity Gauntlet snap, leaving Rocket behind.

Thor and Rocket continue on without their tree friend in Avengers: Endgame and help to secure all of the Infinity Stones throughout time, eventually bringing everyone back. Even though it is five years later, those who vanished return as the same age from the snap years prior. So Teenage Groot battles with the multitude of heroes in the final fight against Thanos.

During the Endgame denouement, Thor hitches a ride with the Guardians. Not much time has passed between then and Thor: Love and Thunder, since Groot is still a teen at the beginning of that movie. The Guardians part ways with the God of Thunder early on in the story and we next check in on them in The Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special.

A hint that years may have gone by between the beginning of Love and Thunder and the holiday special is Groot’s maturation. Groot is now a young adult with massive muscles. It seems he traded in gaming for gym equipment, although Star-Lord knows he still has a fondness for handheld video games.

With Groot growing bigger (all around), could he be one step closer to a grown-up, similar to how we first met Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy? Or could James Gunn be using this special format as a way to introduce the Groot we will be seeing in the next film.

If he does bloom into his final stage for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, it would be a nice way for the adored tree hero to come full circle with the original film, especially since Gunn, and some cast members, have expressed that the third Guardians film will not only complete a trilogy, but end the story of this team of the Guardians of the Galaxy.

Did you love seeing Groot as a buff young adult in the Guardians of the Galaxy Holiday Special? Would you rather him stay that way for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 or resemble his fully grown form from the first movie?