This article is being written under the assumption that everyone in the world has fallen in love with Baby Groot, because haven’t we all? During a credits scene of Guardians of the Galaxy, Baby Groot was introduced to us AND HE WAS DANCING! He was a DANCING BABY GROOT and I would eat my jacket if that meant a creature like Dancing Baby Groot existed in the real world. That credits scene - of DANCING BABY GROOT - was so adorable and goofy and wonderful that it almost overshadowed the movie. Now that we’ve all seen the trailers for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, it’s confirmed that Groot will still be Baby Groot in the follow-up film. That's probably the most amazing cinematic news since it leaked that Michael Fassbender showed his penis in Shame. Oh, and if you haven’t seen the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, do yourself a favor and check it out. (Same with Shame, ladies.)

Now, about Baby Groot. This is a character that is so lovable and adorable that I would get artificially inseminated with a Baby Groot if I could, but medicine has yet to make those advances. Am I a little bit too obsessed with Baby Groot? Maybe, but if loving Baby Groot is wrong, I don’t want to be right. Assuming you are as obsessed with Baby Groot as I am, you'll love the below 15 facts about Baby Groot. The article is also filled with Baby Groot pictures, as every article ever written should be.

There Wasn't Going To Be A Baby Groot

Hold on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen, because this is shocking. There wasn’t always going to be a Baby Groot in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. This seems crazy because most of the marketing for the film focuses on Baby Groot and his antics. I mean, the trailer is basically just Baby Groot being a lovable little rascal. But, James Gunn apparently didn’t plan on Baby Groot being such a baby. He thought Groot would have grown back into Big Groot. In a Facebook post, Gunn explained:

“When I was first working on the script for Vol. 2 I was planning on it being years after the first movie and for little Groot to be a grown Groot. But there was something missing. First of all, I thought there was a lot of development the group needed to go through as a group – and it would be a shame for the audience to miss it. And, secondly, for whatever reason, Groot just wasn’t working. It was then I came upon the idea of having Vol. 2 take place very shortly after the first film and for Groot to still be Baby Groot, with quite a lot to learn. Even though I had already long-ago-decided on the other characters involved, this change opened up the whole movie for me and it suddenly all came together. I fell in love with the script for Vol. 2, and I felt like we were creating something very special.”

So, there you have it. We almost didn't have an adorable Baby Groot movie. Clearly, James Gunn made the right decision in including Baby Groot.

Chris Pratt Hates Baby Groot (Yes, Really)

While Baby Groot may be the most adorable movie character of all time, not everyone loves him. In fact, Chris Pratt, aka Star Lord, hates Baby Groot. How could Chris Pratt hate Baby Groot? Does he also hate puppies and rainbows and babies dressed as Stars Wars characters? Also, look up the babies dressed as Star Wars characters because they are so cute. Not cuter than Baby Groot, but still pretty cute.

We’re exaggerating a bit because Pratt never used the word hate. According to director James Gunn, Chris Pratt said that Baby Groot is going to “steal the f*cking movie” from him. Here’s the thing, though, Chris Pratt is probably right. Baby Groot is going to steal the movie. I mean, Baby Groot has already stolen the trailers. Chris Pratt, America’s #1 Sweetheart, is going to deal with having his movie stolen by a CGI character. Chris Pratt will be fine, especially considering that he's one of the most in demand actors today. So, hush up, Chris Pratt, and let Baby Groot have his moment.

The Characters In The Film Hate Baby Groot

While Chris Pratt doesn’t really hate Baby Groot, some of the characters in the film do actually hate Baby Groot. In particular, Drax the Destroyer and Nebula are not the biggest fans of Baby Groot. Dave Bautista, who plays Drax and is maybe the most muscular man alive, said in an interview that, “Drax and The Tree are never going to get along.” Um, never going to get along? Has Drax even seen how adorable Baby Groot is?!

Bautista went on to explain that their sibling rivalry is what keeps them from being friends. We can actually get down with that because, in a way, they are a very special relationship.

Meanwhile, Karen Gillan said, “Nebula doesn't find it cute at all - well of course she doesn't - but I do. So it's a real challenge for me.” Karen Gillan is right because of course Nebula doesn't find Baby Groot cute. We have a feeling that Nebula has never found anything to be “cute” in her entire life, not even babies dressed as Star Wars characters.

Baby Groot Doesn't Have Memories

Baby Groot's mind is hard to explain because he’s a baby… but he was also a person… but he’s a baby again. So, what does this mean for his cognitive function? Well, James Gunn and Kevin Feige, producer of Guardians, actually seem to have different ideas. When asked if Baby Groot has memories, James Gunn gave a straight up "no" answer. Nope, no memories for Baby Groot. When Kevin Feige was asked the same question, he had a much more complicated answer stating, “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.”

Kevin Feige’s explanation means that Baby Groot does have Groot’s memories but they are fragmented. Either way - Baby Groot not having memories or Baby Groot having fragmented memories - this is actually tragic in a way because that means Groot doesn't really remember any of the events that occurred in Guardians of the Galaxy. He doesn't know he sacrificed himself for his friends and was the hero. He doesn't know he saved the day. He doesn't know about all his adventures with Rocket Raccoon.

Oh, the tragedy of it all. Baby Groot, you are so adorable and so heartbreaking all at once.

James Gunn Did The Baby Groot Dance

If you think back at that one beautiful scene in the first Guardians of the Galaxy, y'know the scene where we were introduced to and fell in love with Baby Groot, you'll remember Baby Groot does the silliest little dance. Baby Groot was bustin’ a move to “I Want You Back” by Jackson 5, all next to an unknowing Drax. It was one of the most enjoyable and memorable parts of the movie - yes, even though it happened during the credits.

Well, it turns out that we can thank James Gunn for those adorable Baby Groot dance moves. In an interview, Gunn finally let it leak that it was, in fact, his dance moves. Gunn explained, “Baby Groot dancing is 100 percent me. I was too embarrassed for anyone to be there so I made everyone leave the room and I set up a camera and I videotaped myself dancing. Then I sent the video to the animators and had them animate over that. I begged them not to leak the video! Two of my closest friends came to an early screening and said ‘Hey, I recognize those moves! That’s you dancing isn’t it?!’”

Long story short, James Gunn should be invited to every wedding so he can tear up the dance floor with his Baby Groot moves.

Vin Diesel Still Voices Baby Groot

Even though Baby Groot is about 500% smaller than regular Groot, Vin Diesel will still be voicing the character. Yes, Vin Diesel somehow delivered the voice of Baby Groot even though Vin Diesel isn’t known for having a, um, baby voice. In fact, Vin Diesel has a rather rough, coarse voice, which is probably why he was cast to voice Groot in the first place. Apparently, whether or not Vin Diesel would be voice Baby Groot was a question that the whole Internet was wondering, so James Gunn answered in a tweet that said, “You don’t think the guy that plays Homer Simpson talks like that all the time, do you? Vin is an actor capable of doing all sorts of voice.”

So, there you have it. James Gunn has no time for the Internet's doubt in Vin Diesel's ability to do a Baby Groot voice.

Vin Diesel Recorded All Of His Lines Wearing Stilts

This is actually a big Groot fact, but it's a good one so we sneaked it in with the Baby Groot facts.

It may just be Vin Diesel’s voice in Guardians of the Galaxy but that doesn’t mean that he didn’t do WORK for the role. To get into the mindset of Groot, Vin Diesel reportedly wore stilts every single day he recorded the voice of Groot. Vin Diesel even got so good at walking in stilts that he wore them to the Guardians of the Galaxy premiere. It’s hard not to love Vin Diesel, which makes us love Baby Groot more, and then we think of Baby Groot and love Vin Diesel more. Oh, it’s a never-ending circle, guys.

Between the Fast and the Furious franchise, the Guardians films and the fact that he’ll be voicing Groot in Avengers: Infinity War, Vin Diesel is becoming one of the most profitable actors in Hollywood – which is a sentence I truly never thought I’d type. No offense, Vin.

Vin Diesel Has Said "I Am Groot" Over 1,000 Times

At this point, Vin Diesel has probably said "I am Groot" more times in his life than he’s said his own name... but, really. After filming the second Guardians, Vin Diesel jokingly claimed that he's said "I am Groot" over 1,000 times, but he’s probably not even really joking because he's recorded the line in a variety of ways and a variety of languages. That's right, in order “to uniquely customize the moviegoing experience for international audiences” Marvel had Vin Diesel say "I am Groot" in several different languages. He learned how to say "I am Groot" in Spanish, Ukranian, Hungarian, Japanese, Polish, Italian, and several others.

All in all, Vin Diesel reports that, between the two movies, he’s learned to say "I am Groot" in 16 different languages. That's dedication, y'all.

Groot Helped Vin Diesel Through A Really Hard Time

Many actors get through difficult times by turning to their craft and Vin Diesel is no different. In an interview, Diesel talked about his connection with Groot stating, “It was very personal. It was the month after the accident happened with my brother Paul Walker and it was the first time I had worked since. Although it was challenging, just to get back to work was therapeutic, especially as Groot. There was an innocence about the character that was just refreshing and it may have been more challenging under other circumstances, but at that time, it was very therapeutic.”

In 2013, Paul Walker died in a car accident at the young age of 40. His death remains a curious situation, as neither drugs nor alcohol were found in his system. Mechanical failure and drag racing also don’t seem to be an issue. It’s assumed that the accident is simply due to the speed Walker was driving along with the combination of his older tires. Paul Walker and Vin Diesel starred in several Fast and the Furious films together.

A Solo Baby Groot Movie Is "Inevitable"

For the record, I would see a solo Baby Groot movie approximately 84 times while it was in theaters. According to Vin Diesel, a Baby Groot movie is something that will definitely happen so I better start saving for the cost of the tickets alone.

In an interview, Vin Diesel said that he thinks a solo Groot spin-off is "inevitable." Though, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be a Baby Groot film, but why wouldn’t it be? While Big Groot is cool and all, Baby Groot has A LOT of fan love. Hell, I'd even go to a coming of age Groot movie, in which Baby Groot learns some hard lessons and grows into Big Groot. (Guys, that would be so good!)

In the interview, Vin Diesel said, “It’s something that James Gunn has talked about and something that I know that he would love to do. Sure, I think it could be very interesting. I think it’s inevitable. I think, you know, that character’s so enigmatic. He was already one of the most unique characters in the Marvel Universe and I think what Marvel has done, primarily what James Gunn has done to realize that character has exceeded beyond anyone’s expectations.”

By the way, Vin Diesel loves being in franchise movies.

The Dancing Baby Groot GIF Took Over The Internet

Where did all the Baby Groot fanfare come from? Well, there was the GIF that started it all.

In the first Guardians film, Groot was a popular character. His well-timed "I am Groot" was delivered to a perfect effect. Critics even praised Vin Diesel's ability to bring such emotion to a character with just three little words. In the climax, Groot sacrifices himself from the good of the group, which is a pretty important part of a film like that. Whenever there’s a movie that’s about the good of the group over the individual, you can almost bet on someone sacrificing himself in the climax. It’s part of the formula.

After Groot sacrificed himself, Rocket Raccoon took a twig, planted it and up sprouted Baby Groot. This is when the Internet lost their goddamn minds. GIFs of Dancing Baby Groot took over. There were even articles written about how many articles were written about Dancing Baby Groot. It was Dancing Baby Groot mania. There's no actual data on this, but I'm pretty sure that it was one of the most used GIFs ever.

Baby Groot Is... Complicated

Let’s just say this about Baby Groot – he’s a complicated creature. As we’ve already pointed out, James Gunn and Kevin Feige have differing opinions about Baby Groot’s ability to have memories. Now, here's what Vin Diesel said about the way his character's mind works: “There is a difference [in Groots]. He couldn't be more naive as Baby Groot. I always think of the Groot that we saw in the first Guardians as a college level Groot. He's not fully grown yet, but he's a man. Once he sacrifices himself at the end of the movie, now he has to start all over, so to speak. So we're going to see this goofy, adorable Baby Groot thing running around the screen. Just kinda learning as he goes. I think people are going to love this movie.” While Vin Diesel didn't address Baby Groot's ability to have memories, he did say that Baby Groot has much to learn.

What gets really complicated is Baby Groot’s… parentage. When asked if Baby Groot is the original Groot or Groot’s son, James Gunn said that it’s “complicated.” While it’s easy to assume that Baby Groot would just be a mini version of the original Groot, he could very well be more of a son figure, in that a piece of Groot was taken and from that sprung Baby Groot. Kind of like sperm, right? Now, my head hurts.

Whatever, Baby Groot is great, whether he's Groot Groot or New Groot.

Baby Groot Went To A Children's Hospital

This is really more of a Chris Pratt thing than a Baby Groot thing, but it’s so super awesome that we're going to talk about it regardless.

Chris Pratt and Chris Evans (Captain America) waged a Super Bowl bet, in which the "loser" had to visit a children’s hospital of the other’s choosing. Chris Pratt lost, so he popped on his Star Lord costume to visit a children’s hospital. And he didn’t stop there. Chris Pratt took a Baby Groot figurine with him to visit the kids. This was the version of Baby Groot - still potted because he was truly a baby - that we all saw in the final scene of Guardians of the Galaxy.

Even though Chris Pratt was the “loser,” Chris Evans put on his Captain America costume and made a visit as well, because apparently Marvel hires actual superheroes to play superheroes.

Baby Groot Is Not A Merchandising Ploy

Let’s get this out of the way, Baby Groot is adorable and his adorableness is bound to sell merchandise. There’s really no way around it. Hell, I even want a Baby Groot toy and I’m a (kind of) full-grown woman. However, selling lunchboxes and toys, Gunn says, is not the point of Baby Groot. In an interview, Gunn stated, “I’m not an idiot. I knew if Baby Groot worked, the world would want Baby Groot toys and figures and plushies. But that certainly didn’t seem like a certainty when I was alone in my office conceiving of a story, and it most definitely was not the driving force of the decision. I, like so many of you through the trailer alone, had fallen in love with the little dude – even though at that point he was only in my head.”

James Gunn wanted to do a Baby Groot story because he loved him, not because he loved the idea of making Disney/Marvel a million, bajillion dollars via Baby Groot merchandise. It’s nice to know that Baby Groot isn’t just a way for them to make money, but it’s rather a narrative decision made by James Gunn. I mean, either way, I was 100% going to by Baby Groot toys, but still.

Baby Groot Is A Little Jerk

Baby Groot was flat-out adorable when we saw him dancing at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy, but as it turns out, despite his adorableness, he’s actually kind of an asshole. We saw some of his antics in the trailer in which he ran away with the button, but there will definitely be more to come. James Gunn has even said, "He's a little jerk. He can kick some ass. He's also an idiot. He's a baby. He's not very smart. So, he's stupid.”

Number one, I don’t know if I’m okay with James Gunn calling Baby Groot stupid, but I’ll let that slide because James Gunn is the reason I have Baby Groot in the first place. That being said, Baby Groot being a little jerk is maybe the cutest thing ever. I like a Baby Groot with edge. I’m totally down for a little troublemaker of a Baby Groot. I hope Baby Groot steals my lunch money. I wouldn't even care.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 opens May 5, 2017 so you can enjoy all the Baby Groot-ness then. By the way, if Baby Groot doesn't goddamn dance in this movie too, I will be throwing my popcorn at the screen. Just a warning.

Sources: Nerdist.com, IGN.com, Cinemablend.com, Hollywoodreporter.com, Time.com