🚨 There are obviously MASSIVE spoilers ahead for Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3! 🚨
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 is officially out, and I've gotta say, it's one of my favorite Marvel movies in recent years. It made me laugh, I cried WAY too much, and it fully solidified that this group of characters is one of the best in the MCU.
Directed and written by James Gunn, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 takes place after the events of Avengers: Endgame, with the Guardians living on Knowhere and continuing to protect the galaxy.
While Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) is still mourning the loss of Gamora (Zoe Saldaña), the mission in this film hits really close to home when Rocket (Bradley Cooper) is seriously injured and they now must figure out how to save him.
What ensues is a pretty perfect Marvel movie as Peter, Nebula (Karen Gillan), Groot (Vin Diesel), Mantis (Pom Klementieff), and Drax (Dave Bautista) set off to try and save Rocket before it's too late.
That's all to say the movie is an emotional one, as Rocket clings to life and we heartbreakingly learn how he was created by the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), watched his best friends die, and more.
Eventually, the Guardians save Rocket, kick the High Evolutionary's butt — which includes one of the best MCU fight scenes set to "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" — and head back home to Knowhere, where Peter informs the team that he needs to step away from the Guardians.
This leads to Peter and Mantis saying goodbye to the Guardians, Nebula and Drax deciding to run Knowhere, and Rocket being named the new captain of the Guardians of the Galaxy.
We get an emotional final hug between our original Guardians and, in a truly adorable moment, we hear Groot say, "I love you guys."
It's the first time we've heard Groot say something very different other than the time he said, "We are Groot" at the end of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1.
But, while some might take this as Groot finally learning how to say something other than "I am Groot," that's not the case.
In a reply to a fan on Twitter, James Gunn confirmed that this is actually the audience finally becoming part of the Guardians of the Galaxy family and learning to understand Groot.
If I wasn't crying before, I am certainly crying now.
Also, this makes another moment in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 even better, too.
When the Guardians arrive back on Knowhere, Gamora and Groot share a sweet scene where Gamora finally understands what Groot is saying — after spending the whole movie being confused how anyone could possibly know what he means when he says, "I am Groot."
This means alternate Gamora has also been welcomed into the Guardians family, just like the audience at the end of the film.
I always assumed Groot saw original Gamora like a mother-figure, so it's so good that they finally share this small scene, just the two of them, in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.
Basically, I'm obsessed with this little detail about Groot's final line in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, and now, I want to go see the movie again.
