Sometimes superhero movie merchandise is just as important as the movie itself, and those who enjoy collecting toys or play with them will find it hard not to reach into their wallet to buy a Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 Baby Groot. I mean, he’s cute and quite deadly; if you don’t believe me, check out the trailer for the upcoming film. As excited as some people are to see new toys, there are those who believe that Baby Groot is nothing more than a marketing ploy to burn another hole in our wallets. Well, director James Gunn is speaking out against that theory, saying that isn’t the case at all. Check out what he had to say here below.

Gunn took to Twitter to address this controversy – and I use that term very loosely.

I’m sure some people think that but for me keeping him Baby Groot throughout the film was the creative change that opened the film up for me https://t.co/5PJTQZpSwB

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 10, 2016

The director wasn’t afraid to admit that he wasn’t sure that the studio would be on board with Baby Groot as they were with Ego the Living Planet:

I was less confident the studio was going to buy in on Baby Groot than I was they were going to buy in on Ego the Living Planet. https://t.co/5PJTQZ8hF3

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 10, 2016

There may have been a chance that we would have seen a full-grown Groot in the sequel, but luckily Gunn stuck to his guns and made the risk of having Baby Groot:

Because adult Groot was the most popular character from the first film and I didn’t think they’d want to risk a good thing. https://t.co/1fkhfMfhJJ

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 10, 2016

Now it appears that the crew will have to teach Baby Groot the ropes:

Because Groot was pretty evolved spiritually: Baby Groot has a lot to learn. & I like how he brought out new aspects of our other characters https://t.co/1PSaa3cNoh

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) December 10, 2016

Gunn has always been open about the development and production of Guardians of the Galaxy, and has taken to social media on more than one occasion to address some concerns fans may have about the film. Of course, he could never delve into too much detail, that could spoil the surprise. But the fact that he is willing to answer questions shows that he recognizes their concerns and respects the source material. If anything, we need more of that kind of transparency.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opens in theaters on May 5, 2017.

[Source: James Gunn Twitter]