James Gunn Finally Reveals How Marvel’s Rocket Raccoon and Groot Became Friends

thewrap.com:

“Guardians of the Galaxy” director James Gunn took to Threads to describe how Groot and Rocket became friends – and it runs really, really deep.“I wrote a short film explaining the origin of how Rocket & Groot met.

It was even storyboarded & location scouted & we did test footage for it (it was seen at SDCC in the ‘trailer’ we cut together after 12 days of shooting),” Gunn wrote. “But I didn’t have time to do it as Vol 1 amped up.

In it Tibius Lark, Groot, and Rocket were all imprisoned in a deep well in the ground.”Groot (voiced by Vin Diesel) goes throw various growth stages throughout the “Guardians of the Galaxy” film trilogy, starting out as full-size, re-appearing as Baby Groot, and eventually becoming teenage and young adolescent Groot.“Tibius was on the verge of dying.

He explained to Rocket he had been caring for Groot for years. He was a former zookeeper in a shitty galactic-side zoo. He explained he had saved Groot, who was on exhibit there, & that Groot was a loyal friend,” Gunn continued. “He asked Rocket to please take care of him, & then he died.