9-Year Old Groot Easter Egg Made Official Canon By Marvel

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Groot's home planet and species of origin in the MCU have finally been confirmed thanks to one moment in Secret Invasion. Groot might seem like the most unlikely name to appear in Secret Invasion, but the Guardian of the Galaxy received a brief mention in episode 2 of the MCU Phase 5 series, which released on Disney+ on June 28, 2023. As Secret Invasion's storyline continues to unfold, new details are slowly being revealed about the Skrull rebellion's plans, and it seems that Groot will play a major role in forming Kingsley Ben-Adir's Gravik into a powerful villain from the pages of Marvel Comics.
Groot debuted in 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy as a founding member of the team, voiced by Vin Diesel and shown to be a companion for Bradley Cooper's Rocket. Guardians of the Galaxy included several Easter eggs calling back to the titular team's Marvel Comics history, including naming Lylla the Otter, referencing Rocket's Halfworld origins in Marvel Comics, and revealing Gamora as the last surviving member of the Zehoberei people. While some of these Easter eggs have been retconned (Rocket didn't originate on Halfworld, and Gamora isn't the last of her kind), several teases of Groot's MCU origins have now been confirmed in Secret Invasion episode 2, "Promises."
Groot's Species & Home Planet Confirmed After GOTG Easter Egg

After the Guardians of the Galaxy are arrested on Xandar during 2014's Guardians of the Galaxy, each member stands for a mugshot, with information displaying on the screen revealing more about their histories. This was a veritable mine of Easter eggs relating to each character, and while some of these teases have been brushed over, Groot's haven't. Guardians of the Galaxy revealed that Groot is a member of a species named Flora Colossus, originating on Planet X in the MCU. This hadn't been mentioned again in the MCU, but Secret Invasion episode 2 finally called back to these Easter eggs, confirming them to be canon in the MCU.
During Secret Invasion episode 2, Emilia Clarke's G'iah logs on to the Skrulls' computer system while investigating some strange experiments occurring within their abandoned nuclear plant base. On the system, she sees information concerning several forgotten plot threads from the MCU's history, including the Frost Beast from Thor: The Dark World, Cull Obsidian from Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame, and Extremis from Iron Man 3. Groot is also listed here, with the system providing confirmation that Groot is in fact a Flora Colossus from Planet X, providing canon confirmation of Groot's origins, nine years after Guardians of the Galaxy first teased them.
How The Skrulls Got A Sample From Groot

Secret Invasion implied that the Skrull rebellion had been gathering DNA samples from the items on the list, but while it might be obvious how they gathered some, Groot's is a little more of a mystery. The Frost Beast's DNA would have been easy to come by, as the creature was seen abandoned on Earth in Thor: The Dark World's post-credits scene. Cull Obsidian's hand was severed in Avengers: Infinity War, and probably cleaned up by the Department of Damage Control. While Extremis was shown to be volatile in Iron Man 3, it was also proven to be stable in some subjects, meaning the Skrulls could have easily acquired it.
Groot has more-often-than-not been seen embarking on cosmic adventures with the Guardians of the Galaxy, and hasn't spent much time on Earth, meaning he couldn't have left many samples behind. Even so, Groot did travel to Earth on one occasion, joining the Battle of Wakanda in Avengers: Infinity War alongside Thor and Rocket. Given the violent nature of this battle, it's very likely that Groot could have left behind some twigs for the Skrulls to use as DNA samples. How the Skrulls knew what was Flora Colossus and what was simply a tree twig is another question, but it appears they were indeed successful in gathering some of Groot's DNA.
What Do The Skrulls Want With Groot's DNA?

Though it's clear that the Skrulls have been gathering DNA from otherworldly beings for some time, it hasn't been revealed why they're doing this in Secret Invasion. However, fans of Marvel Comics will surely have guessed that the villainous Super Skrull could be on the horizon. The Super Skrull debuted in Marvel Comics' 1963 run of Fantastic Four #18 as a Skrull warrior who had been enhanced with the powers of the Fantastic Four. Since the Fantastic Four haven't yet debuted in the MCU, Marvel Studios has had to be clever about which DNA samples are used to form the Super Skrull, and Groot has a major role in this.
Trailers for Secret Invasion revealed that Gravik himself would be becoming the Super Skrull, as they featured him showing off his stretching powers, which look remarkably similar to how Groot stretches his limbs. This would be a replacement for Reed Richards, a.k.a. Mister Fantastic, answering why the Skrulls want Groot's DNA in the MCU's Secret Invasion. Cull Obsidian would grant the Super Skrull enhanced strength, Extremis would relate to Johnny Storm's heat powers in Marvel Comics, and the Frost Beast would also grant some impressive skills. Gravik is yet to become the Super Skrull in Secret Invasion, but Groot will play a massive role in creating this brand-new MCU villain.
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