I just realized why Rocket gets so pissed at Drax for nearly getting them all killed for revenge in volume 1

He blames himself for not taking Floor and Teefs and just running after Lylla got shot.

"That's no excuse to get everyone else dead along the way" he says, recalling that when he took revenge for one friend it led to two more dying.

This has got to be one of my favorite shots of the whole movie. Because I mean, look at him. Look at this little dummy, this actual baby, witnessing happiness and family for the first time in his life. All he wanted was to belong, and now he does.

So going back and watching all previous Guardians of the Galaxy media, I finally realized why Nebula looked so different in GotGv3 and I can’t believe I didn’t clock it immediately.

The hardware around her eye is gone. When she said Rocket had given her some upgrades she meant more than just her new arm. He gave her the opportunity to be more like her old self before the Thanos modifications. Removing that implant allows her to be more emotive and I think that’s beautiful.

I also noticed that when her limbs all snap back into place she doesn’t seem to experience the level of pain and discomfort she did before. I like to think that’s also thanks to Rocket’s upgrades. I love their relationship so much. 🥹

I'm sorry but can we talk about how cute this image is?

Like Gamora's head on Peter's shoulder and Nebula looking so happy.

I painstakingly used snipping tool to take these caps, please cry about baby Rocket with me.

A quick post vol.3 sketch of rocket and two of his many raccoon babies <3

I’ve seen vol.3 twice in the last 3 days and I can safely say it is one of my favorite movies ever

THIS POST CONTAINS GOTG3 SPOILERS, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED

so it was only through this movie that I realised how incredible nebula and rocket’s relationship really is, or rather could be if they had more screen time.

they have the exact same backstory. horrific and violent experiments were performed on them both by galactic assholes with god complexes, and obviously they have both been recovering and running from that their entire lives.

but also, their personalities are just super similar - closed off, rude, no-nonsense, angry, etc. and that means that they can relate to each other in the same way as each other. what I mean is, they have spent their lives suffering in silence, and are not the type of characters to have long heart to hearts and open up to those around them. but that’s okay, because they can suffer in silence together. they can wallow in their pain together. no words required, just pure understanding.

and the fact that they were the only main guardians left during the blip?? are we just going to overlook how close they would have gotten?? a close knit family unit reduced to two people?? literally the only people each other had left?? LIKE???

UGH and the fact that she gets him bucky’s arm for christmas. it was on a different planet. she had never celebrated or even heard of christmas before. but it was THAT important to her to give it to him?? and the looks on their faces!!?!? YES

and just that scene where nebula hears his voice again and just sobs. and mantis (a literal empath) looks at her and says to rocket, “we love you and we appreciate you and we are so happy you’re okay because you are our best friend.” because nebula, just like rocket, isn’t the kind of person who would feel able to say that herself. but actions and reactions speak more than words, and those tears spoke VOLUMES of the value nebula places in her friendship with rocket and it just makes me so feral

Can we talk about the difference in how Peter's alcoholism and depression was handled in vol 3 in contrast to Thor's in endgame??? Like hello?!?!? For a millisecond I was worried they were gonna treat Peter like a joke but immediately they showed us the worry in all the guardians for his state, Nebula carried him and put him in bed and they all make sure he was ok, and even later they were talking about how worried they are and how they can help him, no jokes about his physical condition or anything like that and him being passed out drunk wasn't framed as funny but as heartbreaking and also they showed us Nebula being rightfully mad at Peter's actions and him taking responsibility on it and started trying to heal and becoming better, they all love him so much I just can't

Something I loved about the movie is that we saw Nebula totally emotional.

She cried, she smiled, she was shocked, she let herself being more than anything she knew before. She didn't even smile in the Holiday special so, the fact that being with Guardians changed Nebula for the better is so heartwarming.

I haven't seen anyone talk about this yet. Towards the end of Guardians vol 3, when Rocket sees Lilah, Teefs, and Floor again, they're not "whole." All four of them still have their enhancements. To me, this detail is so important.

As disabled people, we have a history of being told that, when we die, when we go to heaven, all of our illnesses, deformities, ways of being in the world will be gone. We will be cured. But for many of us, we don't want to be cured. If there is an afterlife, and I'm not autistic, I wouldn't even know the first thing about how I would exist as that. More importantly, I wouldn't be myself.

Like disabled people, Rocket, Lilah, Teefs, and Floor didn't get to choose their existence, their bodies, their minds. They were made that way and, very realistically, could not imagine being any other way, despite their pain and suffering. Even in most modern media, disability is a plot device that, when its purpose has been served, gets cured or written out of the narrative. Having all four of them being disabled in the afterlife is so goddamned important.

Guardians of the Galaxy vol. 3 (2023) dir. James Gunn

watching Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 felt like saying goodbye to my high school friend group before we all left for different colleges, knowing that while we might keep in touch, we were never going to be this group ever again, and a huge chapter of our lives was over...and i can't remember the last time i cried that much in the theater.

perfect send-off. thank you James Gunn 💜

Best gag in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 was the High Evolutionary needing a box to stand on because Elizabeth Debicki is just that tall.

I've been trying to digest GOTG vol. 3 for a hot minute now and I just need to get this out: FUCKING FINALLY, Marvel has been doing a hero narrative where everything is sacrifice, there can be no happy heroes and no (for the most part) battles that aren't for the greater good. Yes, go and defeat fucking everyone and everything that is stoping you from saving your friend, and yes try and kill as little people as possible cause not all of them are guilty.

This has been said a lot but the guardians are the only group that is actually a family and are everything the avengers couldn't be because they're weaknesses brought them together instead of apart, they chose to be a family even when they're not sure how it is to have one, but it works for them; even with all the screaming,but let's face it, that's all they've known.

All in all, is the most emotional movie Marvel has done (try and prove me wrong, you can't). Everyone is so transparent about they're feelings it makes the audience experience and actual connection, you want nothing but for them to get a damn hug and be happy; that scene where Nebula cries SO hard when she realizes Rocket is alive broke my heart in a million pieces (along with so many others) because they were so alone, when they lost everyone they had each other so they can't let the other go, when the group splits during the battle they go together bc they'll be damned if they're separated again.

I couldn't be happier they all get to be happy, that for once there are no deaths in sacrifice, they have lost so much that now is their time to win and enjoy what they built.

leave all your love and your longing behind you can't carry it with you if you want to survive

— "dog days are over" by florence + the machine