Season 2 of I Am Groot is set to bloom onto Disney Plus tomorrow, continuing the adorable and markedly inconsequential adventures of Baby Groot, but also with a very large, James Gunn-shaped hole in the middle.
The second run will mark the first time in MCU history that a Guardians of the Galaxy project won’t involve Gunn in any official capacity, and while that impact will probably be felt the least in the context of a show like I Am Groot, it’s a noteworthy development all the same.
But let’s face it; from an unofficial standpoint, Gunn simply can’t not be involved with the Guardians of the Galaxy. So long as Drax is exuding dad energy, Star-Lord is passively plotting his next move, and Groot is being Groot, we reckon we’ll always be able to feel Gunn’s smile from afar.
At least, I Am Groot mastermind Kristen Lepore certainly did. In a recent interview with ComicBook, Lepore reminisced on the days when the training wheels officially came off as she and the team geared up for the future, and it sounds like Gunn’s confidence was an even better boon.
“I think he had a lot of trust and faith in us, especially after season one. I took it as an approval where I was like, ‘Okay, we got our groove, we’re doing our thing, James gives us the thumbs up. I think we’re good to go for season 2.'”
The ceiling for I Am Groot may only be so high, but the gift of Gunn’s blessing is probably priceless to most creatives in the comic book adaptation space these days, the size of the project notwithstanding.
I Am Groot is available to stream on Disney Plus. All five episodes of season 2 will release on Sept. 6.