‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ Official Trailer May Debut with Premiere of ‘Doctor Strange’; Groot-Rocket Friendship Highlighted Throughout New Film

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ may debut its first official trailer upon the release of ‘Doctor Strange’ in theaters on November. Meanwhile, Groot and Rocket’s friendship will be highlighted throughout the new film. Director James Gunn admitted that baby Groot was an important character and that he helped give Gunn a whole new storytelling perspective.

According to Screen Crush, producer Kevin Feige teased that audiences may finally get to see the trailer within a few months – specifically when the next film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) premieres in theaters. Although he didn’t specify an exact date, it was speculated that the sequel’s trailer will be revealed together with the premiere of ‘Doctor Strange’ as it is the only Marvel film scheduled to be released in a couple of months.

Scott Derrickson’s ‘Doctor Strange’, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the titular role, is set to bow on November this year while James Gunn’s ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ is scheduled to premiere on May 2017. It only makes sense that the trailer of Gunn’s sequel will finally be unveiled during Derrickson’s film debut.

Meanwhile, footage shown during a portion of the Marvel panel at the San Diego Comic-Con revealed that Groot will still be baby-sized in the upcoming sequel. According to Collider, Feige said that although Groot is only a seedling, he retains all his memories. He said, “He remembers. He’s not mentally a baby, he is still Groot… I sort of equate it to Spock circa the end of Search for Spock and The Voyage Home.”

Groot was introduced in the first film as a large extraterrestrial tree-like humanoid known for his heroic and noble nature. He maintains a close friendship with Rocket the Racoon despite their different personalities. Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper voice Groot and Rocket, respectively.

Feige revealed that the relationship between Rocket and Baby Groot will continue to be highlighted throughout the second film. He said, “When it comes to a Guardians of the Galaxy film, a James Gunn script, it’s not just about the funny, it’s not just about the action, it’s about the heart. And the amount of heart that you get out of this trash panda raccoon and now this little twig baby Groot is actually awe-inspiring. It is amazing what he’s done with those two characters.”

Gunn admitted that he first planned to make Groot a grown-up in the sequel but considered otherwise. According to the Independent, he said, “I was going to make Groot a grown Groot, but it just didn’t seem right. I thought: ‘Wait a second. Baby Groot offers a whole new way of looking at the movie and a new way to go into it.’ It’s about this family, and when they all go in around this younger character, it’s going to make a big difference.”

The director added, “Baby Groot’s an extremely important character for me in the movie. It’s not like it is his story, but it suddenly opened up everything for me.”

‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’ is an upcoming addition to MCU’s Phase Three. It is scheduled to be released on May 5, 2017. Its predecessor became a critical and commercial success following its premiere last August 2014, earning $771.17 million against a production budget of $170 million.