James Gunn Reveals Untold Origins of Rocket and Groot's Legendary Bond

Rocket and Groot are one of the most fun to watch duos in the MCU. However, have you ever wondered how our favorite interstellar odd couple met and started their legendary journey together?

Well, James Gunn, the mastermind behind the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, recently unveiled an untold story that takes us back to their roots.

According to Gunn's post in Threads, he initially drafted a short film which revealed the origins of this peculiar friendship. It had even progressed to the stages of storyboarding, location scouting, and even test footage.

However, due to the time constraints posed by ramping up GotG Vol. 1, this short film never saw the light of day.

The story unfolds within a desolate backdrop, a profound abyss where Rocket, Groot, and an individual known as Tibius Lark were all held captive. Tibius was on the brink of death, and before he passed away, he confided in Rocket about his time with Groot.

Gunn explained: "Tibius was a former zookeeper in a sh*tty galactic-side zoo."

He saved Groot, who was merely an exhibit there. From then on, Groot and Tibius formed a loyal and unique friendship. As he neared his end, Tibius asked Rocket to look after Groot.

Upon Tibius' death, Rocket discovered that he was actually a robot. As the story progressed, Rocket and Groot broke free. Rocket was on Groot's shoulder for the first time, carrying a machine gun crafted from Tibius Lark's body (that’s probably why Rocket is obsessed with stealing artificial body parts).

And so began the legendary bond of the quirky duo we've all come to adore. They roamed together, partners in crime, until they found their home with the Guardians.

It’s great that James Gunn thought of such a compelling origin story for two of the most iconic characters, and it's a bummer we never got to see this short film come to life.

Fans of the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise think it would be great if this story was released as a short film or mini series. It would undoubtedly be exciting to learn more about this iconic duo.

Source: James Gunn on Threads