Shortly after Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2’s release, Gunn clarified that Baby Groot is an entirely different character, as he wanted Groot’s death in the first Guardians movie to mean something.
In the lead-up to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, when asked if Baby Groot is the same Groot or if he’s the son of Groot, James Gunn simply responded, “It’s complicated.”
This isn’t the first time we’ve heard that Baby Groot isn’t the same individual as OG Groot.
Which makes sense, given that Baby Groot didn’t have any memories of what happened in the first movie.