Given his status as arguably the single most recognizable and iconic figure in the history of comic books as a medium, it’s understandable that Stan Lee wouldn’t be able to recall every single Marvel character he ever created.
After all, the legend had a hand in bringing Spider-Man, Thor, the Hulk, Ant-Man, the Wasp, the Fantastic Four, Black Panther, Daredevil, Doctor Strange, the Scarlet Witch, Black Widow, and dozens upon dozens more to life, so it’s not all that surprising to find out that he couldn’t remember one of his more obscure creations, albeit one that would eventually go on to become a household name.
In a social media exchange with a fan, Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn revealed that Lee totally forgot he was the brains behind sentient tree Groot, even if the intergalactic adventurer’s first appearance came under completely different circumstances to the Vin Diesel-voiced favorite we all know and love today.
Groot’s debut came in the 13th issue of Tales to Astonish way back in November of 1960, so the Guardians stalwart has been around the block more times than many of Marvel’s most famous names. Originally a cosmic invader who stood hundreds of feet tall and loved nothing more than experimenting on captured humans, we’d feel confident in saying this particular version of the character wouldn’t be caught dead dancing to “Mr. Blue Sky” or being utilized as comic relief.
When you’ve got a legacy like Stan Lee, it’d be nigh-on impossible to recall every hero or villain you’ve willed into existence, but it’s a fun piece of Marvel trivia nonetheless.