Please let the first Teen Groot figurine also be the last
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 found its mascot early in Baby Groot. But like all things golden, this youth cannot last. Marvel already has its eyes on what’s next, and the toys tell us the future is no longer Baby Groot, but Teen Groot. They grow up so fast.
Groot, the team’s Vin Diesel-voiced, ass-kicking tree, exploded into splinters in the first film. In Vol. 2, he’s a pint-sized version of himself that has a lot in common with a cartoon puppy (as in, he’s clumsy, big-eyed, and looks best in tiny clothes). In a post-credits scene, he’s a tree-nager, complete with a sullen attitude and a voice that cracks when he delivers his signature line, “I am Groot.” It’s a good goof that feels sullied by the quick capitalization by toymakers,…
