Four years after "Guardians of the Galaxy" came out, director James Gunn is clarifying a major plot point: tree-creature Groot did actually die in that 2014 film.

That might seem obvious, but some of us (OK: me included) assumed Groot was reborn as the sapling that became Baby Groot, a character in 2017's "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2." Hey, we don't know how tree people roll, and we don't judge.

But no, the Groot from the 2014 film is permanently dead, Gunn said on Twitter Tuesday.

Many fans were pretty surprised by what to Gunn seemed an obvious plot point.

Some thought Gunn was just adding facts not in evidence, as they say in court, but nope, he says the movie events were clear: Groot died. Baby Groot is his child.

Pleading with the director didn't work, either.

And then people began discussing the meaning of "I am Groot."

The science of it all seemed kinda confusing.

No matter how it happened, it still makes people sad.

This isn't Gunn's first after-the-film reveal. He's also noted the Guardians don't speak English, which surprised some wondering how the group will chat with the Avengers in "Avengers: Infinity War," coming later this year.

Baby Groot does seem to be growing into Angsty Teen Groot, but we'll find out more in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3," due out in 2020.