All Marvel fans are familiar with the chiseled, tree trunk humanoid called Groot, but did you know that the famed Guardians of the Galaxy character almost looked a whole lot different in the film?
Jackson Sze, a senior illustrator at Marvel, released early concept art for Groot — and it’s a totally different direction than they ended up taking the character.
Here’s what Groot looks like for reference.
He’s definitely human-shaped, but looks a lot like a tree trunk. His body is noticeably stiff and he has panels of bark that cover root-like muscles. You can clearly see chest and stomach muscles, and he’s very defined.
This is the original concept art.
Groot looks a lot more like a root that came out of the ground. He’s curved and clumped with moss and dirt. Groot looks bendable and much more in line with baby Groot.
A revised drawing of Groot shows him looking more like his current form.
The different incarnations of a single character are really interesting. Groot looks a lot more like a human in the version Marvel settled on.
Which Groot do you like best?
