Director James Gunn confirmed that only months have passed between the events of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and the first film, providing an explanation to why Baby Groot is still the size of an infant in the sequel.
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But then when you consider Vin Diesel’s comments about his character going up against Mark Ruffalo’s Hulk in the upcoming Avengers: Infinity War, where would that place the Guardians on the timeline?
Feige clarified the continuity between the films and revealed why Groot will nearly be back to normal by the time of the events in Avengers: Infinity War, explaining that four years will have passed between the events of the first Guardians of the Galaxy movie and the next Marvel Studios crossover film.
While speaking with CinemaBlend, Feige confirmed the timeline while stating that MCU movies won’t normally locked in to specific dates:
Yeah, knowing that outside of the Guardians franchise, we don’t necessarily always date the movies. You don’t always know, we don’t say, ‘2012, 2013…’ We do in the Guardians because you do the math and 1988, and it’s 26 years later. But we never say, ‘Oh, this takes place in 2018, this takes place in 2017.’ But it was important for the story that James wanted to tell that they’re still relatively fresh in their new group.
So by that time, Groot might be all grown up once again, ready to take on the Jade Giant in a battle of misunderstanding before they eventually team up to take down Thanos.
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Whether or not it actually happens like that remains to be seen, especially with the announcement of Gunn’s final film in the franchise with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and it’s promise to end that iteration of the team.
Will Vol. 3 take place in that gap as well? Or will it take place after Avengers: Infinity War and it’s sequel (which we might have just learned the name of)? With every new detail we learn, we only come up with more questions to ask!
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 hits theaters May 5.
Are you excited to see Baby Groot grow up? Let us know with your vote in the Anticipation Rankings below!
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Set to the backdrop of ‘Awesome Mixtape #2,’ Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2continues the team’s adventures as they traverse the outer reaches of the cosmos. The Guardians must fight to keep their newfound family together as they unravel the mysteries of Peter Quill’s true parentage. Old foes become new allies and fan-favorite characters from the classic comics will come to our heroes’ aid as the Marvel cinematic universe continues to expand.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is written and directed by James Gunn (Slither). The film marks the return of the original Guardians, including Chris Pratt (Jurassic World) as Peter Quill/Star-Lord; Zoe Saldana (Star Trek Into Darkness) as Gamora; Dave Bautista (Spectre) as Drax; Vin Diesel (Furious 7) as the voice of Groot; Bradley Cooper (American Sniper) as the voice of Rocket; Michael Rooker (Jumper) as Yondu; Karen Gillan (The Big Short) as Nebula; and Sean Gunn (Gilmore Girls) as Kraglin. New cast members include Pom Klementieff (Oldboy), Elizabeth Debicki (The Great Gatsby, Everest), Chris Sullivan (The Knick, The Drop) and Kurt Russell (The Hateful Eight, The Thing).
